Col. Bradley Cochran is the vice commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. He serves as the second in command of the largest B-1 combat wing in the U.S. Air Force, with 27 aircraft and more than 3,800 military and civilian members.
Colonel Cochran received his commission in 1997 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, and completed Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, Okla., in 1998.
He has served as a C-17 Airdrop Instructor Pilot, B-2 Instructor Pilot, B-2 Wing Weapons Officer and B-2 Weapons School Instructor, as well as a Military Legislative Fellow to U.S. Sen. John Thune on Capitol Hill and within the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Directorate (J3).
Colonel Cochran participated in Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch, and has combat experience in Operation Allied Force and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a distinguished graduate of C-17 Copilot School, C-17 Aircraft Commander School, Squadron Officer School and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. In addition, in 2001 his crew was 21st Air Force’s nominee for the MacKay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year.
Colonel Cochran’s previous assignment was as a student at Air War College where he graduated with academic distinction and was awarded the Major General Floyd L. Carpenter Award for his research in the field of Strategic Deterrence and Future Bomber Operations. Prior to attending Air War College, he served as 393rd Bomb Squadron commander, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. In that role he was responsible for the conventional and nuclear combat readiness of the men and women in one of only two operational B-2 stealth bomber squadrons in the Air Force.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Master of Science in Aviation Safety, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo.
2006 U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2008 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2010 Legislative Studies Program, Government Affairs Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2012 Air War College (correspondence)
2012 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.
2016 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1997 - July 1998, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Ok.
2. July 1998 - November 1998, Student, C-17 initial qualification course, Altus AFB, Ok.
3. November 1998 - June 2001, C-17 Pilot, Readiness Officer, Tactics Officer, Executive Officer, 15th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
4. June 2001 - August 2002, C-17 Instructor Pilot, Wing Combat Operations and Tactics Officer, 437th Operations Support Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
5. August 2002 - September 2003, Student, B-2 Initial Qualification, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
6. September 2003 - September 2005, B-2 Instructor Pilot, Weapons and Tactics Officer, Chief of Training, Flight Commander, 325th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
7. September 2005 - January 2006, B-2 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, 13th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
8. January 2006 - June 2006, Student, 325th Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. June 2006 - January 2007, Wing Weapons Officer, Weapons Flight Commander, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
10. January 2007 - July 2009, U.S. Air Force Weapons School Instructor, Assistant Director of Operations, then Director of Operations, 325th Weapons Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
11. July 2009 - December 2010, Military Legislative Fellow to U.S. Senator John Thune, U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.
12. December 2010 - May 2013, Assistant Deputy Director of Operations and Chief of Training, Current Operations Branch, National Military Command Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff (J3), Pentagon, Washington D.C.
13. May 2013 - June 2015, Commander, 393rd Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
14. June 2015 - July 2016, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. July 2016 - Present, Vice Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENT
December 2010 - May 2013, Assistant Deputy Director of Operations and Chief of Training, Current Operations Branch, National Military Command Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff (J3), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,200 hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1, T-38, C-17, B-1 and B-2
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Flying Cross
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 2, 1997
First Lieutenant May 2, 1999
Captain May 2, 2001
Major Oct. 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2010
Colonel Aug. 1, 2015
(Current as of August 2016)