Lt. Col. David Eastburn, UAHS Class of 1994
Notable achievements at Upper Arlington High School
While academics were always a challenge for me, I tried to take advantage of all the fantastic athletic and social aspects UAHS had to offer. I was a member of the boys soccer, football and wrestling teams, played for the Ohio-South Olympic Development Soccer team and Club Ohio Soccer, as well as participated in the UAHS broadcasting club.
College / career experiences
Upon graduation from UAHS, I served a three-year enlistment in the U.S. Army as a cannon crew member. I received the Army's Green-to-Gold Scholarship, awarded to enlisted soldiers who show great leadership potential. I attended Campbell University, where I was a member of the men's soccer team, student body vice president and a three-year Presidential Scholar. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Field Artillery Officer in 2001.
I served in many leadership roles in conventional and special operations organizations including several combat tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008, I transitioned into the public affairs community. I received a master’s degree in professional studies from the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management and was the U.S. Army's spokesman in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, during the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.
In 2017, I was selected to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Defense's principal spokesman on Asia. Originally working for Secretary Jim Mattis, I've also worked for Acting Secretary Pat Shanahan and current Secretary Mark Esper, where I speak on behalf of the Pentagon and its leadership while providing expert communication strategy to the Secretary of Defense.
How did UA Schools prepare you for success?
Aside from being a member of the boys soccer, football and wrestling teams, the majority of my extracurricular time was spent with the late Joe Conley both on-camera and behind the scenes of the TV program: UA Alive! While I faced academic challenges in the classroom, the friendships I formed and experiences I had in the four years at UAHS certainly provided me perspective and decision-making skills that would prove vital throughout my career of military service.