Colonel David W. Curl is the commander of the 434th Operations Group, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana. He is responsible for the training, equipping and combat readiness of the 72d and 74th Air Refueling Squadrons and the 434th Operations Support Squadron, which employ 16 KC-135R aircraft. The group is comprised of three squadrons with over 325 personnel which directly support the 434th Air Refueling Wing, gaining combatant commands and the U.S. Strategic Command operations plans by providing combat ready forces in executing the Global Air Refueling Mission.
Colonel Curl was commissioned into Active Duty in 2001 after graduating from Purdue University. He entered pilot training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, with follow-on training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas where he was a Distinguished Graduate. He was the assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron at Elemendorf Air Base, Alaska, in 2003 where he served as a C-130H pilot and training officer. He transferred to Yokota Air Base, Japan in 2007 where he served as a C-130H Evaluator Pilot and Wing Executive Officer. After being selected for the Phoenix Reach Program in 2010, he was assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base, WA where he was a KC-135R/T Evaluator Pilot and Wing Chief Executive Officer. In 2013, he made the decision to separate from Active Duty and return home to Grissom Air Reserve Base, IN. He has held various positions at Grissom including Long Range Scheduling, Assistant Chief Pilot, Chief of Training, 434 ARW Chief of Safety and 74 ARS Director of Operations. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the 434 OSS Commander.
Colonel Curl is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours and has deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Enduring Freedom Philippines, Odyssey Dawn, Unified Protector, and Inherent Resolve among others. He has been married to his wife Sarah, for over 23 years and has four sons, Mitchell, Wyatt, David and Lincoln.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts, Purdue University, Indiana
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2011 Master of Arts, Trident University International, California
2012 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2023 Air War College, by correspondence
2024 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Aug 2001 - Feb 2002, Adjutant Lieutenant, Detachment 220, Purdue University, IN
2. Feb 2002 - Nov 2002, Naval Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Whiting Field, FL
3. Nov 2002 – Jun 2003, Naval Joint Advanced Multi-Engine Flight Training, NAS Corpus Christi, TX
4. Dec 2003 – Dec 2006, Training Officer & Scheduler, 517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, AK
5. Dec 2006 – Jun 2007, Wing Scheduler, 374th Operational Support Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
6. Jun 2007 - Nov 2008, Flight Commander, 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
7. Nov 2008 – Aug 2009, Group Executive Officer, 374th Operations Group, Yokota AB, Japan
8. Aug 2009 – Apr 2010, Wing Executive Officer, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
9. Apr 2010 – Jan 2011, Assistant Director of Operations, 93d Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild AFB, WA
10. Jan 2011 – Dec 2013, Wing Chief Executive Officer, 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, WA
11. Dec 2013 – Aug 2014, Long Range Scheduler, 434th Operations Support Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
12. Aug 2014 – Dec 2016, Assistant Chief Pilot, 72d Air Refueling Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
13. Dec 2016 – Jan 2019, Chief of Training, 434th Operations Support Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
14. Jan 2019 – Aug 2020, Chief of Safety, 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom ARB, IN
15. Aug 2020 – Apr 2022, Director of Operations, 74th Air Refueling Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
16. Apr 2022 – Jul 2024, Commander, 434th Operations Support Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
17. Jul 2024 – present, Commander, 434th Operations Group, Grissom ARB, IN
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 4,000 flight hours and 1,300 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-34C, T-44A, C-130E, C-130H, KC-135R, and KC-135T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” Device and six oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Iraq Campaign medal with three service stars
(CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2024)