Colonel David Barker is Commander, 509th Medical Group, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. He leads 288 personnel and is responsible for ensuring the execution of an annual operations and maintenance budget of $13 million supporting wartime readiness at the Air Forces' only B-2 Bomb Wing. Colonel Barker oversees $27 million in civilian network healthcare, $1.2 million in services contracts, $2 million homeland defense assets, and a $54 million, three facility medical campus providing 81K annual visits to 11,500 enrolled beneficiaries. He is responsible for the health and fitness for duty of 4,100 active-duty members including 1,400 personnel in the Personnel Reliability and Arming and Use of Force programs in support of strategic nuclear deterrence and surety. Additionally, Colonel Barker provides medical support to the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing; Air Force Reserve Command's 442d Fighter Wing; Air Combat Command's 20th Attack Squadron; and the Missouri Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Unit.
Colonel Barker was commissioned in 2005. He has accumulated squadron and flight command experience in multiple medical support functional areas and served two years in a Line Air Force Operational Flight. He has deployed as a medical facilities and logistics mentor to the Afghan National Army and twice deployed as the Surgeon General for Joint Special Operations Air Component - Africa. Board-certified in healthcare management, Lieutenant Colonel Barker is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible, Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, Tenn.
1998 Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, Tenn.
2003 Master of Science degree, Management Information Systems, Bowie State University, Bowie, Md.
2005 Health Services Administration Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2008 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2015 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2021 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2005 – September 2005, student, Commissioned Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2. September 2005 – December 2005, student, Health Services Administration course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
3. December 2005 – June 2006, Group Practice Manager, 28th Medical Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
4. June 2006 – December 2007, Flight Commander, Medical Readiness, 28th Medical Support Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
5. January 2008 – January 2009, Deployed – Mentor, Embedded Training Team, Gardez, Afghanistan.
6. January 2009 – January 2011, Flight Commander, Medical Logistics, 377th Medical Support Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
7. January 2011 – July 2012, Flight Commander, Resource Management Office, 377th Medical Support Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. July 2012 – July 2014, Deputy Flight Commander, Operational Support Medicine, 1st Special Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (December 2013 – April 2014, Deployed – Surgeon General, Joint Special Operations Air Component – Africa, Stuttgart, Germany)
9. July 2014 – June 2016, Flight Commander, TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration, 1st Special Operations Medical Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (February 2015 – June 2015, Deployed – Surgeon General, Joint Special Operations Air Component – Africa, Stuttgart, Germany.)
10. July 2015 – December 2015, Executive Officer; 1st Special Operations Medical Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. July 2016 – July 2017, Chief, Program Strategy, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2017 – June 2019, Chief, Program Integration Branch, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va.
13. June 2019 – July 2021, Commander, 90th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Deputy Group Commander, 90th Medical Group, F. E. Warren AFB, W.Y.
14. July 2021 – May 2022, Deputy Chief, Programming Division, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Va.
15. May 2022 – June 2024, Senior Analyst, Defense Health Program, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2024 - present, Commander, 509th Medical Group, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters Army Achievement Medal
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster NATO Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2008 Air Force Medical Service Outstanding Global Health Company Grade Officer of the Year
2010 Air Force Material Command Medical Logistics Company Grade Officer of the Year
2014 Air Force Special Operations Command Health Plan Management Team of the Year
2015 1st Special Operations Medical Group Field Grade Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant March 28, 2005
Captain March 28, 2007
Major May 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 2016
Colonel Sept. 1, 2024
(Current as of September 2024)