About The Author

David M. Humpert

Dave Humpert recently retired as the Political and Military Analyst for Russia at NORAD/USNORTHCOM, J2 Directorate in 2016; a position he’s held for fifteen years, capping a long and storied career in and out of uniform. Mr. Humpert holds a B.A. in Russian Area Studies from Oregon State University (cum laude); and an M.A. in Russian Area Studies (summa cum laude) from the University of Washington. During his varied career as a Soviet/Russian military and political specialist, Dave relied on his extensive knowledge of Russian political and military history and its culture. His Russian language proficiency was invaluable as an interpreter, translator, and source-language analyst in a variety of challenging assignments for the U.S. Air Force and the intelligence community.

In 2002, Dave retired as a Lt. Colonel — after 30 years (both enlisted and commissioned) serving in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserve. Prior to his assignment at NORAD/USNORTHCOM, Lt. Col. Humpert taught Russian at the U.S. Air Force Academy. While at the Academy, Dave was deployed to Bosnia where he coordinated reconnaissance and surveillance collection plans for SFOR. In 1991, then-Major Humpert was assigned to the Pentagon, Office of the Secretary of Defense where he served as the Policy Analyst, Russia and Transcaucasus. For the previous three years, Captain Humpert was assigned as an Air Liaison Officer at the U.S. Military Liaison Mission to the Commander-in-Chief, Western Group of Forces, Zossen-Wunsdorf, East Germany. He commanded nearly 300 operational missions into a hostile and potentially dangerous environment to observe first-hand the readiness and war-fighting capabilities of Soviet and East German forces in East Germany. Before Germany, Dave’s knowledge of the Russian language, history and culture was instrumental in his selection as a Presidential Translator, Washington-Moscow Direct Communications Link (MOLINK), or better known as the Hotline. Finally, in his first assignment in Washington, D.C., Lt. Humpert served four years at Bolling Air Force Base, Air Force Intelligence Service, where he was in charge of translating and editing authoritative Soviet military literature for Russian linguists and analysts worldwide.

During his military service, Lt. Col. Humpert earned numerous military decorations including the Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster.

Dave authored “Swan Song of the Panzers,” an account of Operation Citadel in July 1943 near Kursk, and “Victor Suvorov and Operation Barbarossa: Tukhachevskii Revisited” published in The Journal of Slavic Military Studies.

Mr. Humpert lives in Colorado Springs with his wife Mikell, who is a President of OCDS. Their daughter, Victoria, is a distinguished graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is currently at Yakota AB, Japan with her husband Lt. Col. Geoff Walker, U.S. Space Forces.