David A. Robinson (born 1954) is a retired major general in the United States Air Force who served as mobilization assistant to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, D.C.
Military career
Robinson was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is a 1976 honor graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. A career fighter and instructor pilot, he flew combat support missions in the KC-135R during Operation Deny Flight. Robinson has served as a squadron operations officer, squadron commander and wing vice commander. He has held key staff assignments at the Joint Staff and Secretary of the Air Force levels. He has also served a tour as the director of the Combined Air Operations Center, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
In his civilian occupation, Robinson is employed as a captain with a major airline.
Family and personal
Robinson is married to Lori Robinson, a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force, and the first female commander of a Unified Combatant Command when she was named as commander of the United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in May 2016.
Robinson's daughter, United States Air Force Reserve Second Lieutenant Taryn Ashley Robinson (born February 1, 1983), was critically injured and her civilian flight instructor was killed when their plane impacted terrain on September 21, 2005. Taryn later succumbed to her injuries and died on January 10, 2006. Lieutenant Robinson was enrolled in a government undergraduate pilot training introductory flight program, and this was her second flight. Taryn's flight instructor, James L. Weaver, age 64, was flying the Diamond Aircraft Industries DA20-C1, single-engine airplane, N63PA, when it clipped two high-tension power cables while simulating engine failure near Pleasanton, Texas. Lieutenant Robinson was an Air Force Academy graduate (Class 2005), as was Weaver (Class of 1963).
Education
1976 Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences, honor graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado 1977 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence 1983 Master's degree in business administration, Phillips University 1984 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar 1989 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia 1993 Air War College, (by seminar) 1995 Reserve Officer Strategy and Policy Adjunct Course, Naval War College, Rhode Island 1996 Reserve Components National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2001 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2002 Capstone, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.