Colonel McDonald, a native of Pontotoc, MS, entered the Air Force via ROTC in 1988 upon graduation from the University of Mississippi.  Upon completion of the Minuteman III Combat Crew Training Course at Vandenberg AFB, CA he served with the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, WY.  Following his tour in missile operations, he cross-trained into the intelligence career field serving with Deployable Ground Station-1, Langley AFB, VA deploying multiple times to Southwest Asia.  His subsequent tour was as a member of Headquarters (HQ) USAF where he functioned as the lead for the AF Distributed Common Ground System program.  

Following his headquarters tour he transitioned to HQ US European Command in Germany serving in a variety of positions culminating as Deputy Commander, US National Intelligence Cell in Sarajevo, Bosnia.  In July 2003 he was assigned to 12th Air Force, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ as the 612th Air Intelligence Squadron Director of Operations.  After his tour with 12th Air Force Colonel McDonald transitioned to the 480th Intelligence Wing where he served as the Wing’s Assistant Director of Operations deploying as a member of JTF-Katrina.  In June 2006 Colonel McDonald assumed command of the 303rd Intelligence Squadron, the largest U.S. intelligence organization on the Korean Peninsula, conducting surveillance and reconnaissance operations in support of U.S. Forces Korea and 7th Air Force in the defense of the Republic of Korea.  

Following his squadron command tour Colonel McDonald was assigned to the Air Force Targeting Center at Langley AFB, Virginia, where he served as the Deputy Commander. While at Langley he deployed with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing in Afghanistan.  Colonel McDonald was assigned to US Joint Forces Command in July 2010 serving as the Chief of the ISR Integration, Experimentation, and System Support Division and leading the Office of the Under-Secretary of Defense (Intelligence) Empire Challenge Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance integration and experimentation event to date.  

In July 2011 Colonel McDonald moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, LA where he was initially the Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Eighth Air Force and moved to become the Director, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Air Force Global Strike Command in July 2012, serving in that capacity until March 2016.  Colonel McDonald’s final service assignment was as the Special Assistant to the Air Force Global Strike Command Vice Commander.  

Colonel McDonald retired from active-duty 1 June 2017 and recently retired as a Senior Program Manager with Raytheon Technologies to devote time to his family, friends and passion for helping others. He is married to the former Dawne Taylor, also of Pontotoc. They are back home in Mississippi and have three grown children, a lovely granddaughter Lily and three incredibly spoiled dogs.

EDUCATION:

1988 - BA in History, University of Mississippi
1993 - Master of Science in Management, Lesley College, Cambridge, MA
2002 - Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL

2006 - Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Purple Heart
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal 
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with Valor device and one oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters

Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and four oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster

National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one device 
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one device

Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one device
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Korean Defense Service Medal

Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” device

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
NATO Medal (Balkans)