David Eberly was born in 1947 in Brazil, Indiana. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC Program at Indiana University on June 9, 1969, and was awarded his pilot wings at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, in December 1971. Lt Eberly's first assignment was as an instructor pilot at Laughlin AFB, Texas, from December 1971 to 1973, when he became an instructor with the Air Force Instructor Training School. In 1974, he became Chief of the Presentations Division for Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas, where he served until 1976. Capt Eberly served as an ASTRA Officer at the Pentagon from 1976 to 1977, and then completed F-4 Phantom II training at MacDill AFB, Florida, during 1978 and 1979. Eberly next served as Assistant Operations Officer for the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Clark AB in the Philippines before completing Armed Forces Staff College in 1980. From 1980 to 1981, Eberly served as the Assistant Operations Officer for the 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ramstein AB, West Germany, and then as Chief of Stan Eval for the 86th Tactical Fighter Group from 1981 to 1982, also at Ramstein AB. He served as Operations Officer for the 512th TFS from 1982 to 1984. Eberly served with Headquarters USAF at the Pentagon from 1984 to 1988, and then attended Air War College from 1988 to 1989. Col Eberly served as Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, from 1989 to 1990, and then as Deputy Commander for Operations from 1990 to 1991. Col Eberly was the Director of Operations of the 4th Fighter Wing during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and was forced to eject over Iraq on the 4th night of the war. He evaded the Iraqi military for 3 days before being captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on January 25, 1991. Col Eberly was the highest ranking officer of the 5th Allied POW Wing and was released on March 5, 1991. After the war, he became Commander of the 4th Operations Group at Seymour Johnson AFB, serving from 1991 to 1992, and then served another tour at the Pentagon, from 1992 to 1993. Col Eberly's final assignment was as Defense and Air Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, where he served from 1994 until his retirement from the Air Force on October 31, 1997. He accumulated over 3,400 flying hours in the T-38 Talon, F-4E and G Phantom II, and F-15E Strike Eagle, including flying combat missions during the Persian Gulf War. After retiring from the Air Force, he published a book entitled "Faith Beyond Belief" in 2002 which details his experience in the Gulf War.