Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. East

Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. East is the Maintenance Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, General Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa, assuming duties 1 January 2023. In this role, he is responsible for the manning, training and readiness of 240 Maintenance Group airman. His leadership expertise provides quality aircraft and equipment maintenance, sortie generation and munitions required by the wing to produce over 900 sorties and 3,400 flight hours annually. In addition, he directs the one and only Air National Guard Paint Facility, which has painted 650 aircraft and achieved $57.6 million in cost avoidance to the Air National Guard.

 

Lt Col East enlisted with the 185th Fighter Group in February 1988. After completing Basic Military Training, he graduated from Aircraft Armament technical training school in December 1988. While receiving a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, with a Law Enforcement emphasis from Wayne State College, he was an Armament System Journeyman. In April 2001 Lieutenant Colonel East was selected for the Chief of Supply position in the Logistics Squadron. Lt Col East earned his commission in 2002 through the Academy of Military Science. From 2002-2011, Lieutenant Colonel East served in various capacities in the Logistics Readiness Squadron, ensuring material management, vehicle maintenance, transportation, and aircraft/vehicle fuel adherence to regulation. He spearheaded the Logistics Readiness Squadron through the unit’s conversion from F-16 to the KC-135E weapons systems. From 2011-2018, Lieutenant Colonel East served as the Security Forces Squadron Commander, where he oversaw the physical security of the unit and was responsible for all Anti-Terrorism planning for the wing. During this period, he was instrumental throughout the employment of the unit’s Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercises and Inspections. In 2019, Lieutenant Colonel East was named the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, overseeing all airfield operations for the wing. Accomplishing several milestones during this period, Lieutenant Colonel East was a key leader during the COVID-19 pandemic and was instrumental in developing aircraft decontamination procedures, ensuring the safety of the air crews as they conducted missions around the world during the pandemic. In 2020 he deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, overseeing the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Maintenance Element, Tanker Task Force, supporting the Bomber Task Force in conjunction with supporting Higher Headquarters directed objectives throughout the Indo-Pacific AOR. Numerous high-level missions/objectives were achieved during the deployment while accomplishing an overall 86.8% Mission Capable Rate. Prior to his current position, the Lieutenant Colonel was the 185 Air Refueling Wing Deputy Maintenance Group Commander and Munitions Accountable Systems Officer for the 185th Air Refueling Wing.

 

1992 Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb. 2009 2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence

 

February 1988 – May 2002, Aircraft Armament Systems Specialist, 185th Fighter Wing, Iowa

May 2002 -- March 2003, Chief of Supply, Logistics Group, 185th Fighter Wing, Iowa

March 2003 – September 2004, Logistics Division Chief, Logistics Readiness Sq, 185th ARW, Iowa.

October 2004 – February 2011, Material Management Flight Chief, Logistics Readiness Sq, 185th ARW, Iowa

March 2011 – October 2011, Logistics Readiness Sq Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa

October 2011 – December 2018, Security Forces Sq Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa

January 2019 – November 2021, Aircraft Maintenance Sq Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa

November 2021 – December 2022, Deputy Maintenance Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa

January 2023 - Present, Maintenance Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa