# Dondi E. Costin

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.

## 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. 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.

## 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.
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.

## Awards and decorations

| Badge | Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge | Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge | Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge | Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge |
| Badge | Senior Acquisition and Financial Management Badge | Senior Acquisition and Financial Management Badge | Senior Acquisition and Financial Management Badge | Senior Acquisition and Financial Management Badge |
| 1st row | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal | 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 | Headquarters Air Force badge | Headquarters Air Force badge | Headquarters Air Force badge |