Dondi E. Costin

Last updated
Vickey Northey
​
(m. 1989)​
Dondi E. Costin
Costin 2018.jpg
Costin in 2018
6th President of Liberty University
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 31, 2023
Education
Signature Dondi E. Costin signature.svg
Military service
Branch/serviceFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Years of service1986–2018
Rank Major general
Commands U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps (Chief of Chaplains)
Awards

Dondi Enos Costin (born August 21, 1964) is an American academic, Baptist minister, and former major general in the United States Air Force. He has led the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps and served as Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force from 2015 to 2018. He retired effective September 1, 2018, and served as president of Charleston Southern University until June 30, 2023. On March 31, 2023, he was named president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Costin was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. He attended Emsley A. Laney High School and then the United States Air Force Academy, receiving a bachelor's degree in operations research. [2] [3] After graduating, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1986.

He received his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. He also holds Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, as well as a Master of Arts in Counseling from Liberty University. His military education was also at the U.S. Air Force Academic Instructor School, the Squadron Officer School, and the Air War College. [4]

Career

Costin served as a squadron-level scientific analyst evaluating air-to-ground precision guided munitions, chief of scientific analysis on a major command headquarters staff, and assistant professor of aerospace studies. He completed a competitive category transfer into the Air Force Chaplain Corps in 1996. [5]

Costin has since served as Protestant chaplain for Air Force Basic Military Training, flight line chaplain and then senior flight line chaplain for both special operations and conventional forces in Europe, senior Protestant chaplain, readiness instructor/ evaluator preparing Chaplain Corps personnel for worldwide deployment, Air Staff branch chief, wing chaplain, command chaplain for the air component mission in Southwest Asia, and command chaplain for Pacific Air Forces. An ordained Southern Baptist minister, Costin is endorsed by the Liberty Baptist Fellowship to serve as an Air Force Chaplain. He was double promoted from the rank of colonel to major general to assume the position of Chief of Chaplains in August 2015. [6]

Awards and decorations

USAF Christian Chaplain badge.svg

United States Air Force Acquisition and Financial Management Badge.svg Award-star-silver-3d.png
Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Silver oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Air Force Commendation ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Us jointservachiev rib.svg Air Force Achievement ribbon.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award-3d.svg Gallant Unit Citation ribbon.svg Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg Silver oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Valor device.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Organizational Excellence ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Air Force Recognition Ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
KosovoRib.svg
Afghanistan Campaign ribbon.svg Bronze-service-star-3d.svg Bronze-service-star-3d.svg Bronze-service-star-3d.svg Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Korea Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg Outstanding Volunteer Service ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Air and Space Campaign ribbon.svg
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal ribbon.svg Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon.svg U.S. Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame.png
Air Force Longevity Service ribbon.svg Silver oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg USAF Marksmanship ribbon.svg Air Force Training Ribbon.svg NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar.svg
Headquarters US Air Force Badge.png
Badge Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge
BadgeSenior Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
1st row Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal
2nd row Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Joint Service Achievement Medal Air Force Achievement Medal
3rd row Joint Meritorious Unit Award Gallant Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device, one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
4th row Air Force Recognition Ribbon National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
5th row Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal
6th row Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal with service star
7th row Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon - Short Tour Air Force Overseas Service Ribbon - Long Tour with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame
8th row Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon NATO Medal for service with ISAF
Badge Headquarters Air Force badge

References

  1. ↑ "'I Am Beyond Grateful': Liberty University Names New President, Chancellor in Wake of Jerry Falwell Scandal". 31 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Meet Dondi E. Costin of Charleston Southern University Archived 2020-09-18 at the Wayback Machine . charlestonmercury.com. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. ↑ Svrluga, Susan (2023-04-01). "Liberty University taps S.C. college leader, Air Force veteran as president". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  4. ↑ "Chaplain (Major General) Dondi e. Costin". Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  5. ↑ "CHAPLAIN DONDI E. COSTIN". Air Force. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  6. ↑ "AF colonel to get double promotion to 2-star general for top chaplain post – Stripes Japan". Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-09-24.

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Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
2015–2018		Succeeded by
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