Captain Brandon Walsh is the Operations Flight Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 930, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. He is tasked to recruit, educate, train, motivate, select and commission officer candidates through a comprehensive college program. He provides academic instruction on fundamental Air Force doctrine, practical leadership experience, and extensive field training emphasizing physical fitness and officership to prepare future officers for active duty. Additionally, Capt. Walsh oversees the entire cadet corps through the Leadership Laboratory course and teaches the junior level course Air Force Leadership Studies and a freshmen level course; Introduction to the USAF.
Capt Walsh enlisted in the Air Force as an Airman Basic in May of 1992. He progressed through avionics systems maintenance positions, serving nine years as a non-commissioned officer and deployed numerous times to Southwest Asia in support of Operations DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT, PROVIDE COMFORT II, SOUTHERN WATCH and NORTHERN WATCH; as well as various joint and coalition training exercises. He commissioned through officer training school in December of 2004 and trained as a Communications and Information Officer (33SX), where he went on to lead a deployable tactical airfield flight, coordinate maintenance and operational requirements for a 120 person combat rated unit, oversee deployment planning operations for a 650 member combat rated group and serve as the central maintenance authority on communications policy and standardization supporting four Air Control Squadrons. Since commissioning, he has twice deployed to Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM where as a Second Lieutenant he led a team of contractors and Airmen in providing essential communications and related infrastructure across Ali Air Base and most recently led a joint team of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines at Camp Victory, Iraq to ensure the security and reliability of the digital network supporting operations throughout Iraq.
Awards & Decorations
- Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
- Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
- Air Force Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
- Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long
- Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon and Gold Border with two oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Longevity Service with three oak leaf clusters
- USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon
- Basic Military Training Honor Graduate
- Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
- Air Force Training Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster
- NATO Medal
Assignments
- Jul. 1992 – Apr. 1993 Student, 336th Technical Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, MS
- Apr. 1993 – Feb. 1996 Aircraft Communication & Navigation Systems Apprentice/Journeyman/Craftsman, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK
- Feb. 1996 – Dec. 2000 Aircraft Communication & Navigation Systems Craftsman, 552d Aircraft Generation Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK
- Dec. 2000 – Dec. 2003, Chief, Quality Assurance; Quality Assurance Inspector, Aircraft Communication & Navigation Systems Craftsman, 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- Dec. 2003 – Sept. 2004, Assistant Element Chief, Communication & Navigation Systems, 2d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA
- Sept. 2004 – Dec. 2004, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
- Jan. 2005 – Feb. 2007, Operations Officer Airfield Systems Flight / Officer In Charge Combat Readiness Center, 32d Combat Communications Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK (Sept. 2006 – Jan. 2007, Mission Systems Flight Commander, 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, Ali AB, Iraq)
- Feb. 2007 – Jan. 2009 Deputy Flight Commander, Plans and Operations; Chief, Group Maintenance Management, 3d Combat Communications Support Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK
- Jan. 2009 – Jul. 2010 Chief, Maintenance Control, 752 Operational Support Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK (Dec. 2009 – May 2010 J6 Watch Officer, Joint Network Operations Control Center, United States Forces-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq)
- Jul. 2010 – Present, Operations Flight Commander, Air Force ROTC Det. 930, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Education
- 1993 Communication and Navigation Systems Apprentice Training, Keesler AFB, MS
- 1997 Airman Leadership School, Tinker AFB, OK
- 1999 Avionics Advanced Workcenter Management Course, Keesler AFB, MS
- 2002 Associate of Arts, Management Studies, University of Maryland University College
- 2002 Associate of Applied Science, Avionics Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force
- 2002 Air Combat Command Quality Assurance Inspector Course, Spangdahlem Air Base, GE
- 2003 Bachelor of Science, Computer Studies, University of Maryland University College
- 2004 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2005 Basic Communications-Computer Systems Officer Training, Keesler AFB, MS
- 2007 Information Operations Fundamentals Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2008 Communications Officer Network Training, Keesler AFB, MS
- 2009 Communications Officer Warfighting Integration, Keesler AFB, MS
- 2008 Contingency Wartime Planning Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2010 Associate Professor of Aerospace Studies Instructor Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
Promotions
- Second Lieutenant, Dec. 17, 2004
- First Lieutenant, Dec. 17, 2006
- Captain, Dec. 17, 2008
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Data Refreshed on: 05 March 2013, contact Det 930 Webmaster
