Col David C. “Lester” Scott is the Deputy Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye. He is responsible for approximately 3,500 U.S. military, civilian and contractor personnel and the combat readiness of U.S. Air Force units at Incirlik and four geographically separated units in Türkiye. He is also responsible for Base Operation Support Integration activities for Türkiye-based joint and combined combat forces conducting operations in the region.
Col Scott commissioned through Officer Training School in 2004. He is a B-52H Electronic Warfare Officer, having served as an instructor, evaluator, Combat Flight Instructor Course instructor, and Formal Training Unit instructor. Col Scott is a graduate of Air Force Global Strike Command’s Pathfinder Internship Program, attended the National Laboratory Technical Fellowship Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and completed two joint tours (United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) Global Operations Center and United States European Command (USEUCOM) Nuclear Surety and Policy Branch).
He served as the Director of Operations, 712th Air Support Operations Squadron, deployed as the Director of Operations, 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Kabul, Afghanistan, and commanded the 803d Operations Support Squadron. Prior to his current position, Col Scott was assigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, first as the Surety Inspections Division Chief were he led the command nuclear enterprise inspection program and next as the Forces Management Division Chief where he managed the Directorate’s resourcing, funding, and readiness management efforts, as well as Global Force Management, Joint Operation Planning and Execution system, and deployment planning and execution, for component operations across Europe and Africa. Col Scott and his wife Angela have three children.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, Erskine College, Due West, S.C.
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Master of Science, Leadership in Executive Fire Service, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Ariz.
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Nuclear Weapons Engineering, Federal Nuclear Enterprise, Advanced Nuclear Concepts, Survey of Nuclear Weapons Development and Technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore Calif.
2016 National Laboratory Technical Fellowship Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.
2023 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2004 – July 2005, Undergraduate Navigator/Electronic Warfare Officer Training, 562d Flying Training Squadron/563d Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
(Current as of July 2026)
2. July 2005 – May 2006, Student, B-52 Training, 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
3. May 2006 – March 2009, Electronic Warfare Officer and Chief, Ground Scheduling, 23d Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D. (July – November 2008, Wing Scheduler, 432d Operations Support Squadron, Creech AFB, Nev.)
4. March 2009 – February 2011, EWO Training Officer/Flight Commander, 5th Operations Support Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
5. February 2011 – December 2011, Executive Officer, 5th Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
6. December 2011 – July 2015, Pathfinder Internship Program, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
7. July 2015 – July 2016, Air Force Fellow, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.
8. July 2016 – June 2018, Chief, Emergency Actions Operations, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
9. June 2018 – June 2019, Director of Operations, 712th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Hood Army Installation, Texas
(November 2018 – May 2019, Director of Operations, 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Kabul, Afghanistan)
10. June 2019 – July 2021, Commander, 803d Operations Support Squadron, Fort Hood AIN, Texas
11. July 2021 – June 2024, Chief, Nuclear Policy Officer, U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Germany
12. June 2024 – June 2025, Chief, Nuclear Inspections Division, Inspector General, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
13. June 2025 – June 2026, Chief, Forces Management Division, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
14. June 2026 – Present, Deputy Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik AB, Türkiye
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2016 – June 2018, Chief, Emergency Actions Operations, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a Major
2. July 2021 – June 2024, Chief, Nuclear Policy Officer, U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Germany, as a Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Navigator
Flight hours: More than 1500
Aircraft flown: B-52H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Recognition Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 25, 2004
First Lieutenant June 25, 2006
Captain June 25, 2008
Major January 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2019
Colonel September 1, 2025
(Current as of July 2026)