David Berke

David Berke is a U.S. Marine Corps Officer and combat veteran currently serving at the Office of the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. As an F/A-18 pilot, he deployed twice from the USS John C Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN where he was dual qualified in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and served as the senior staff pilot responsible for conduct of the TOPGUN course. He then served as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller supporting the Army’s 1st Armored Division during urban combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. He was the only Marine selected to fly the F-22 Raptor and became the first operational pilot qualified in the F-35B. He earned his Master’s degree in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and is currently studying Business Administration at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. (This bio is current to when the participant joined FDD’s National Security Network.)