Col. Bradley Spears earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in June 1994. He has held various positions at the squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, major command, and joint command levels to include squadron and wing command. His staff assignments include Plans Officer, NATO Combined Air Operations Center Uedem, Germany; Chief, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters Air; and Chief, Operational and Adaptive Plans, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe. Prior to his current assignment he was the Commander, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Col. Spears is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in C-21A, C-130E, MC-130E, and TG-10 aircraft, including over 300 hours of combat time. He is a distinguished graduate of the US Army War College and holds three masters’ degrees, including a Master’s in Business Administration from Colorado State University.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science degree in political science, USAFA, Colorado Springs, Colo.2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2006 Master of Business Administration, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. 2007 Distinguished graduate, Master’s Degree in Military Operational Arts and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2010 Air War College, by correspondence
2015 Distinguished graduate, Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1994 - October 1995, student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. November 1995 - March 1999, C-21A instructor pilot, Detachment 3, 86th Operations Group, Stuttgart Army Airfield, Germany
3. December 1999 - December 2003, MC-130E evaluator pilot, Chief Pilot, Chief of Tactics, 8th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
4. December 2003 - May 2004, wing air operations officer, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. May 2004 - December 2005, TG-10B/C/D evaluator, assistant operations officer, 94th Flying Training Squadron, USAF Academy, Colo.
6. January 2006 - July 2006, sailplane site chief, 306 Flying Training Group, USAF Academy, Colo.
7. July 2006 - June 2007, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 2007 - May 2010, offensive plans officer, Personnel Recovery, Combined Air Operations Center 2 (NATO), Uedem, Germany
9. May 2010 - April 2011, Chief of Safety, 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
10. April 2011 - December 2012, Commander, 458th Airlift Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
11. December 2012 - July 2013, Deputy Commander, 375th Operations Group, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. July 2013 - September 2013, Air Forces Transportation Strategist, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. September 2013 - July 2014, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
14. July 2014 - July 2015, student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
15. July 2015 – July 2016, Chief, Operational and Adaptive Plans, USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
16. July 2016 – July 2018, Vice Commander, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
17. July 2018 – June 2020, Commander, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
18. June 2020 – Present, Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 105, Boulder, Colo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2007 - May 2010, offensive plans officer, Personnel Recovery, Combined Air Operations
Center 2 (NATO), Uedem, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,100
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1, C-21A, C-130E, MC-130E and TG-10B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1994
First Lieutenant June 1, 1996
Captain June 1, 1998
Major August 1, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 2009
Colonel November 1, 2015
(Current As Of July 2021)