Col. Brian S. Hartless is the Installation Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. He commands a team of more than 3,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel who conduct base-level activities for the entire installation, including security, civil engineering, communications, logistics, finance, contracting, chaplaincy, legal, lodging, medical, military and civilian personnel and force support programs. The 10th Air Base Wing supports more than 4,000 cadets and a total military community of more than 25,000 personnel. He is responsible for a $150 million annual operating budget and serves as the Crisis Action Team Commander during all Air Force Academy installation contingency operations.
Prior to his current position, Col. Hartless was Senior Military Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment, and Energy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va. Col. Hartless’ expeditionary experience includes six deployments in support of Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. His staff experience includes headquarters tours at both the Air Force and major command levels.
Col. Hartless entered the Air Force in 1996 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the Virginia Military Institute. He has served in a variety of acquisition and installation engineer positions.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, distinguished graduate, Virginia Military Institute, Va.
2000 Master of Science degree in civil engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2012 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2016 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1996-February 2000, Systems Engineer, Test and Evaluation Engineer, 311th Human Systems Wing, Brooks AFB, Texas
2. February 2000-January 2003, Chief of Maintenance Engineering, 347th Civil Engineer Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia (Deployed June-September 2001, Chief of Maintenance Engineering, 363rd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
3. January 2003-June 2006, Deputy Chief, Director’s Action Group, Assistant Executive Officer, Housing Program Manager, Pavement Engineer, Civil Engineer Directorate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. (Deployed February-June 2004, Civil Engineer Staff Officer, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; September 2005-January 2006, Construction Engineer Staff Officer, Office of Security Cooperation, Kabul, Afghanistan)
4. June 2006-July 2009, Deputy Base Civil Engineer, Operations Flight Commander, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom (Deployed September 2006-January 2007, Commander, 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Sather Air Base, Iraq; November 2007-November 2008, Iraq Defense Affairs Program Manager, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (J7), Baghdad, Iraq)
5. July 2009-June 2010, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. June 2010-May 2012, Executive Officer, Deputy Chief of Energy Management Branch, Office of the Civil Engineer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
7. May 2012-May 2013, Commander, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
8. July 2013-June 2015, Commander, 99th Civil Engineer Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. July 2015-June 2016, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
10. August 2015-July 2018, Commander, 86th Civil Engineer Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
11. July 2018-June 2019, Senior Military Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment, and Energy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
12. June 2019-Present, Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
November 2007-November 2008, Iraq Defense Affairs Program Manager, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (J7), Baghdad, Iraq
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1996
First Lieutenant May 29, 1996
Captain May 29, 2000
Major June 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2010
Colonel May 1, 2016