Rear Admiral David G. Simpson
DISA Vice Director
Rear Admiral David Simpson is the Vice Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). As Vice Director, he helps lead a worldwide organization of military and civilian personnel responsible for planning, developing, and providing interoperable, global net-centric solutions that serve the needs of the president, secretary of defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and other Department of Defense (DoD) components.
Simpson’s previous assignment was Corporate Director for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6), where he served on the chief of naval operations staff responsible for Information Dominance and Intelligence Policy, Workforce, Assessment, Compliance and Corporate functions.
Simpson is a native of Burbank Calif., a 1982 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and received a master's degree in Space Systems Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School.
He has served aboard the USS Meyerkord (FF 1058), USS Germantown (LSD 42), the Pacific Fleet Propulsion Examining Board and with U.S. Naval Forces Korea as the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) officer. From 1999 to 2000 he was the Combat Systems Department head for USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67), deploying to the Persian Gulf during Y2K supporting Operation Southern Watch and leading the aircraft carrier technical evaluation of the Cooperative Engagement Capability.
Simpson was commander of the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Puerto Rico, in 2001 with additional responsibility for multi-national naval communication detachments throughout the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. His command was selected for the Communications and IT Excellence Battle E and Defense Information Systems Agency Global Information Grid awards.
He served as the assistant chief of staff for Communications and Information Systems from 2006 to 2007 for the U.S. 7th Fleet with responsibility for Fleet Network Operations in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Staff tours include Naval Space Command, Naval Military Personnel Command as the head detailer for the Navy's Information Professional community, the U.S. Strategic Command representative to the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and the deputy J6 for USEUCOM responsible for Joint & Combined C3/IT operations in Europe and Africa.
Selected for flag officer in 2007, RADM Simpson served as the director of Navy Networks (N6N) for the deputy chief of naval operations, Communication Networks (N6) responsible for Navy network capability development, integration and resource programming. From 2009 through 2010, he served as the director for Communications and Information Systems for U.S. Forces Iraq in Baghdad synchronizing strategic and operational-level communications and assisting the Government of Iraq in building capacity for the information and communications technology sector.
Simpson's personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3 Awards), Defense Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (6 Awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2 Awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Copernicus Award for career achievement in C4I.