Col. David A. Pheasant is the commander of Space Delta 8. DEL 8 is mission-focused encompassing Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) and Satellite Communications (SATCOM).
Col Pheasant, a recent inter-service transfer to US Space Force from the Army, enlisted in the Army Signal Corps as a computer programmer/systems analyst before entering ROTC where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Texas as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps with a branch detail to the Infantry. Additionally, he maintains several commercial IT certifications to include CISSP, CISM, CEH, SEC+, and ITIL.
Prior to his current assignment, Col Pheasant was the commander of the 53d Signal Battalion (SATCON) and the acting commander of the Satellite Operations Brigade. Col Pheasant was initial cadre in the first Stryker Brigade (3/2 ID) serving consecutively as an Infantry Platoon Leader, Battalion S6, Signal Company Commander, and Battalion Executive Officer; during which he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After attending Advanced Civil Schooling, he served as the Brigade S6 for 3/1 CAV as they closed out Operation New Dawn in Iraq.
Col Pheasant’s recent assignments include serving as the Deputy Army Capability Manager for Cyber at the Cyber Center of Excellence where he developed offensive and defensive cyber capabilities for the Army and Joint forces. Additionally, he previously served as the Chief of Defensive Cyber Operations for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelors of Arts, Economics, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, Texas
2005 Signal Captains Career Course, Fort Gordon, Ga.
2010 Master of Science, Information Technology, University of Texas, San Antonio
2012 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2001–June 2003, Infantry Platoon Leader, Battle Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
2. June 2003– June 2005, Battalion Signal and Communications Officer, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
3. November 2003–November 2004 (Deployed), Battalion Signal and Communications Officer, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Iraq
4. June 2005– January 2008, Company Commander, 334th Signal Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.
5. June 2006–September 2007 (Deployed), Company Commander, 334th Signal Company, Iraq
6. January 2008–July 2010, Battalion Executive Officer, Brigade Troops Battalion, Fort Lewis, Wash.
7. July 2010–February 2013, Brigade Signal and Communications Officer, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
8. February–December 2011 (Deployed), Brigade Signal and Communications Officer, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Iraq
9. February 2013–June 2016, Cyber Operations Chief, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, Va.
10. June 2016–June 2017, Deputy of Doctrine, DOT, Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon, Ga.
11. June 2017–June 2019, TCM-Cyber Capability Developer, Capabilities Development Integration Directorate, Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon, Ga.
12. June 2019–May 2020, Strategic Operations Integration Chief, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
13. May 2020–June 2022, Commander, 53rd Signal Battalion, and Acting Commander, Satellite Operations Brigade, Fort Carson, Colo.
14. July 2022–present, Commander, Delta 8, Schriever SFB, Colo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Basic Space Badge
Air Assault
Parachutist Badge
Ranger Tab
Combat Action Badge
Expert Infantryman Badge
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Certified Information Security Manager
Certified Ethical Hacker
Security+ Certification
Information Technology Infrastructure Library Certification
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 2000
First Lieutenant January 6, 2002
Captain December 1, 2003
Major January 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2017
Colonel July 1, 2022
(Current as of August 2022)