Col. Brian J. Farmer is the commander of the 28th Operations Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. He commands the largest operational B-1 group in the U.S. Air Force with one operational support squadron, two B-1 bomb squadrons and the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC). Colonel Farmer sharpens the combat readiness of the 28th Bomb Wing bomber force for numerous worldwide deterrent roles.
Colonel Farmer received his commission from ROTC in December 1996. During his career he has filled numerous aircraft maintenance, munitions, and flying positions. He has operational experience in the U.S. Central Command area of operations as well as five combat tours in Operation Enduring Freedom. Colonel Farmer has served on the Air Combat Command Staff as Chief, Air and Ground Dominance for the Director of Requirements. Prior to his current assignment, he served in the Weapons Requirement Division as the Division Chief for the Director of Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Requirements Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
2001 Masters of Arts degree Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, La.
2003 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2010 United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2015 Masters of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS 1. January 1997 - March 1999, Assistant Sortie Generation Flight Commander and Flight Commander, 319th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
2. March 1999 – September 1999, Operations Flight Commander, 319th Logistics Support Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
3. September 1999 – March 2001, Munitions Flight Commander, 2nd Munitions Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
4. March 2001 – October 2001, Maintenance Supervisor, 2nd MUNS, Barksdale AFB, La.
5. October 2001 – January 2003, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
6. January 2003 – August 2004, Student, B-1 Flying Training Unit, Dyess AFB, Texas
7. August 2004 – July 2005, Flight Commander, B-1 Pilot, 13th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
8. July 2005 – June 2006, Deputy IG, Chief Inspector, B-1 Aircraft Commander, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas
9. June 2006 – June 2007, Chief of Mobility, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
10. June 2007 – January 2008, Assistant Director of Operations, B-1 Instructor Pilot, 9th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
11. January 2008 – January 2009, Executive Officer, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
12. January 2009 – June 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, B-1 Instructor Pilot, 9th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
13. Jun 2009 – June 1210, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
14. June 2010 – May 2011, Chief, Air and Ground Dominance, Air Combat Command Director of Requirements, Langley AFB, Va.
15. May 2011 – June 2012, Director of Operations, 34th BS, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
16. June 2012 – May 2014, Commander, 28th Operations Support Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
17. July 2014 – June 2015, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
18. June 2015 – July 2016, Functional Plans Assessment AO, HAF/A5SM, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. July 2016 – June 2017, Chief Weapons Requirements, HAF/A5RW, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. July 2017 - Present, Commander, 28th Operations Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 2,012
Combat Hours: 1,205
Aircraft Flown: B-1, T-37, T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
DATES OF PROMOTIONS
Second Lieutenant Dec. 28, 1996
First Lieutenant Dec. 28, 1998
Captain Dec. 28, 2000
Major Aug. 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2010
Colonel April 1, 2017
(Current as of June 2017)