Col. Brady Vaira is the commander of the 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. He leads a group of nearly 2,000 military, civilian and contractor professionals in planning, organizing, coordinating and implementing installation services and support to more than 8,500 military and civilian personnel
and their families.
Colonel Vaira earned his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Montana State University in 1998. He has served as an airfield operations officer and combat airspace manager in multiple assignments at the wing, numbered Air Force, major command and joint levels. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Vaira was the Deputy Director for Plans and Programs at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
EDUCATION:
1996 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Rocky Mountain College, Billings, Mont.
1998 Master of Science, Mathematics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont.
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2011 Master of Science, Operations Analysis (IDE Master’s Program), Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2013 War College (correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 1998 – September 1999, Air Traffic Control Student, Altus AFB, Okla.
2. September 1999 – June 2002, Operations Officer (later commander), Airfield Operations Flight, 57th Operations Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
3. June 2002 – July 2003, Commander, Airfield Operations Flight, 821st Support Squadron, Thule AB, Greenland
4. July 2003 – May 2005, Chief, Combat Airspace Management, 56th Air and Space Operations Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
5. May 2005 – May 2006, Chief, Combat Airspace Management, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
6. May 2006 – September 2007, Action Officer, Commander’s Action Group, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
7. September 2007 – May 2008, Commander, Operations Support Flight, 496th Air Base Squadron, Morón Air Base, Spain
8. May 2008 – July 2009, Director of Operations, 496th Air Base Squadron, Morón Air Base, Spain
9. July 2009 – May 2011, Chief, Airspace Management Division, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
10. May 2011 – June 2012, Student, IDE Master’s Program, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. June 2012 – June 2014, Chief, Airfield Operations and Procedures Branch, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. June 2014 – June 2016, Commander, 470th Air Base Squadron, NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany
13. June 2016 – June 2019, Deputy Commander, 435th Contingency Response Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
14. June 2019 – June 2020, Deputy Director, Plans and Programs, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. June 2020 – Present, Commander, 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS:
1. July 2009 – May 2011, Chief, Airspace Management Division, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant November 1998
First Lieutenant November 2000
Captain November 2002
Major July 2008
Lieutenant Colonel October 2013
Colonel November 2019
(Current as of June 2020)