TechNet Indo-Pacific 2025

BG David P. Elsen, USA
Director for Intelligence (J2)
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command


BG David P. Elsen is a native of Illinois and graduate of Wheaton College (IL), where he commissioned as an Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate in December 1995. Initially assigned to Ft. Campbell, KY as an artillery officer, he served within the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as an Infantry Company Fire Support Officer, Firing Battery Fire Direction Officer, Firing Battery XO, and Battalion S4. Transitioning to Military Intelligence, he served at Ft. Bragg, NC as a G2 Operations Officer in 18th Airborne Corps Headquarters. Subsequently assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, he served as an Airborne Infantry Battalion S2 during the initial invasion of Iraq, and then as Company Commander of the MI Company supporting 2nd Brigade. Selected as an Army Olmsted Scholar, he attended one year of Chinese Mandarin language instruction at Defense Language Institute-Washington followed by two years of graduate study at Peking University in Beijing, China. As a Major, he served in the Republic of Korea as the 532nd MI Battalion Executive Officer and the Theater Analysis and Control Element Chief within 501st MI Brigade. Subsequently, he completed a joint tour at the National Security Agency (NSA), including service as the Deputy Chief for NSA’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Task Force, the Cryptologic Services Group – Bagram OIC (Afghanistan), and finally the Meade Operations Center J3 where he coordinated SIGINT operations, training, and deployments in support of expeditionary military forces. Returning to Korea, he commanded the 532nd MI Battalion, providing direct intelligence support to U.S. Forces Korea and Eighth U.S. Army. He then served on the Joint Staff as Deputy Chief, J39 Cyber and Electronic Warfare Operations Division before moving to Hawaii to command 500th MI Brigade. Upon completing command, BG Elsen deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as the Deputy J-2, U.S. ForcesAfghanistan/Resolute Support Mission (NATO), after which he returned to Hawaii to serve as the U.S. Army Pacific Assistant Chief of Staff, G2. BG Elsen currently serves as Director for Intelligence (J2), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. BG Elsen’s education includes a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Wheaton College (IL) and Master’s Degrees from Fordham University, NY, and National Defense University (NDU). His military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, Army Intermediate Level Education, and Senior Service College at the Eisenhower School, NDU. BG Elsen’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Ranger Tab, and the Senior Parachutist, Air Assault, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification badges. BG Elsen is married to the former Heather Martindale of Wheaton, IL and they have four children: Joshua, Claire, Jonathan, and Jackson.

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