Col. Brian Buschur is the commander of the 28th Operations Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. He commands the largest operational B-1B group in the U.S. Air Force with one operational support squadron, two bomb squadrons and operations of the Powder River Training Complex.
Col. Buschur received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 2002. He completed undergraduate pilot training at Sheppard AFB, Texas in 2004. He is a Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training graduate and command pilot with 2,800 flying hours in the B-1B, F-16C/D, T-37 and T-38. He has completed three deployments with more than 125 combat sorties and nearly 1,500 combat hours.
He has held several key command positions prior to his current assignment, including serving as the Chief, Training, Test, and Standardization & Evaluation Division (A3T) at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where he led AFGSC A3/6's largest division and ensuring operational readiness of U.S. Strategic Command and service retained forces. As Division Chief, he originated major command-level policy for B-1, B-2, B-52, E-4B, UH-1N, and ICBM weapons systems, managed a $740M flying hour program and oversaw testing of two legs of the nuclear triad.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Arts, Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C.
2002 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Masters Degree, Military Operational Art/Science, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 LeMay Wargaming Institute Fellowship (Air Command and Staff College), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 RAND Project AIR FORCE Fellowship, Santa Monica, Calif.
2021 Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2002-May 2003, Executive Officer, 437th Operations Support Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
- May 2003-July 2004, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texa
- July 2004-March 2006, Student, F-16 Initial Qualification Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
- March 2006-November 2006, Student, B-1B Initial Qualification Training, Dyess AFB, Texas
- November 2006-November 2007, B-1B Pilot, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas (Al Udeid AB July 2007-January 2008)
- June 2008-July 2008, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- November 2007-November 2008, Assistant Director of Combat Operations, 7th Operations Support Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
- November 2008-November 2009, Assistant Flight Commander, 9th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas, (Al Udeid January 2009-July 2009)
- November 2009-November 2010, Flight Commander, 9th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas (Al Udeid July 2010-January 2011)
- November 2010-September 2011, Assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 9th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
- September 2011-September 2012, Assistant Director of Flying Training, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
- September 2012-May 2014, Chief of Scheduling, 28th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
- May 2014-May 2015, Executive Officer, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas
- May 2015-June 2016, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- June 2016-April 2017, Deputy Chief, Strategy Plans Team, 612th Air Operations Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- April 2017-February 2018, Executive Officer, Headquarters 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- February 2018-May 2018, Student, B-1B Requalification Training, Dyess AFB, Texas
- May 2018-May 2020, Commander, 28th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
- May 2020-July 2021, Student, RAND Project AIR FORCE Fellowship, Santa Monica, Calif.
- July 2021-Apr 2023, Staff Officer, J5, Allied Joint Force Command Headquarters, Naples, Italy.
- April 2023-June 2024, Commander, USAF Element and BIM Branch Head, Allied Joint Force Command Headquarters, Naples, Italy.
- June 2024–October 2024, Operations Training, Test, & Standardization & Evaluation Division, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
- October 2024 – Present, Commander, 28th Operations Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 2,800
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16C/D, B-1B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 Distinguished Graduate, Detachment 772 Reserve Officer Training Corps 2008 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
2016 Honor Graduate, Air Operations Center Initial Qualification Training
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major June 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2017
Colonel May 1, 2023
(Current October 2024)