BRIGADIER GENERAL KURT R. DAVIS
Retired April 30, 2025
Brigadier General Kurt R. Davis is the Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, in Draper, Utah. He is the state’s senior federal full-time National Guard management official and serves as principal executive assistant and advisor to the Adjutant General. He is primarily responsible to prepare the Utah National Guard to effectively respond to contingency operations in a federal or state emergency and oversees the state’s Homeland Defense Program. He also has responsibility for the joint staff supporting the Soldiers and Airmen serving in the Utah National Guard, as well as defense support to civil authorities, international affairs, family programs, counter drug taskforce, human resources, and other full-time joint activities.
Brigadier General Davis began his career as an enlisted member of the Utah Air National Guard in 1989 as a KC-135E Crew Chief. He was the 7000th officer commissioned through the Air National Guard’s Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee in 1991. He graduated in 1992 from Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base (AFB), California and was a distinguished graduate of the KC-135 Initial Navigator Training Course, Combat Crew Training School, Castle AFB, California.
Brigadier General Davis has served in a variety of command, operational and staff positions at the Headquarters, Wing, Squadron and flight levels including instructor/evaluator navigator, Wing planner, current operations planner, chief of scheduling and current operations, community manager, Wing Executive Officer, Public Affairs Officer, state partnership program coordinator (with the country of Morocco), Deputy Director of human resources, Director of human resources, Vice Wing Commander and Director of Staff - air. Brigadier General Davis is a veteran of several military operations including: Uphold Democracy, Decisive Endeavor, Deliberate Guard, Deliberate Forge, Allied Force, Joint Guardian, Northern Watch, Noble Eagle, Joint Forge, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He is a Master Navigator with over 2,250 flying hours. Prior to his current position, he served as the Commander, 151st Air Refueling Wing, Utah Air National Guard, Salt Lake City, Utah.
EDUCATION
1990 Associate of Science, Accounting, Utah Valley Community College, Orem, Utah
1991 Associate of Applied Science, Aircraft Systems Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
1993 Bachelor of Science, Management, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Commanders Development Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2013 Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, Argosy University, Salt Lake City, Utah
2021 Joint Task Force Commanders Course, Fort Carson, Colo.
2022 Dual Status Commanders Course, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Space Force Base (SFB), Colo.
2023 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1991 - June 1992, Student Navigator, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base (AFB), California
2. June 1992 - October 1992, KC-135A Navigator, Combat Crew Training School, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. October 1992 - May 1996, KC-135E Navigator, 191st Air Refueling Squadron, Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Salt Lake City, Utah.
4. May 1996 - October 1996, KC-135E Training Navigator, 151st Operations Support Flight, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
5. October 1996 - November 2000, SIOP planner, 151st Air Refueling Wing, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
6. November 2000 - January 2004, Current Operations Planner & Navigator Scheduler, 151st Operations Support Flight, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
7. January 2004 - March 2004, Chief of Scheduling and Current Operations, 151st Operations Support Flight, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
8. March 2004 - October 2006, Community Manager & Wing Executive Officer, 151st Air Refueling Wing, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
9. February 2005 - September 2007, KC-135E/R Instructor & Evaluator navigator, 191st Air Refueling Squadron, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
10. October 2006 - November 2007, State Partnership Program Coordinator & Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
11. February 2007 - November 2007, Instructor Navigator / State Partnership Program Coordinator, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
12. November 2007 - July 2011, Director of Staff - Air, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
13. July 2011 - October 2012, Deputy Director of Human Resources, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
14. October 2012 - April 2015, Director of Human Resources, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
15. April 2015 - June 2016, Vice Commander, 151st Air Refueling Wing, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
16. June 2016 - October 2018, Director of Staff - Air, Joint Force Headquarters, Roland R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
17. October 2018 - February 2022, Commander, 151 st Air Refueling Wing, Roland. R. Wright ANGB, Salt Lake City, Utah
18. February 2022 - March 2022, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
19. April 2022 - April 2025, Chief of Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Utah National Guard, Draper, Utah
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: more than 2,250
Aircraft flown: T-43A, KC-135A, KC-135E, KC-135R
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 8, 1991
First Lieutenant Aug. 14, 1993
Captain Aug. 27, 1995
Major Sept. 12, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 14, 2004
Colonel June 19, 2009
Brigadier General April 1, 2022
(Current as of October 2025)
