Major General David G. "Baja" Shoemaker

Director of Operations, Joint Base Langley-Eustis U.S. Air Force

Maj. Gen. David G. “Baja” Shoemaker is the Director of Operations, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. He is responsible to the Commander, ACC, on all matters pertaining to the direct operational planning, training, and command and control functions to deploy and employ regular and Reserve component combat air forces, including more than 1,900 aircraft in support of U.S. security objectives.

General Shoemaker was commissioned in 1994 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. After an initial assignment as an Air Surveillance Officer in the E-3 at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., he earned his wings as an F-16 pilot and has held a variety of leadership positions, including command of the 421st Fighter Squadron “Black Widows” and the 8th Fighter Wing “Wolf Pack.”

General Shoemaker is a command pilot with more than 2,000 pilot hours in the T-37, T-38, and F-16A/B/C/D. He has flown in operations Joint Forge, Joint Guardian, Provide Comfort, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, logging 100 combat sorties in the F-16. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Deputy Director for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.