Col. Brandon D. Wengert is the Director of Human Capital (J1), Headquarters United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The J1 team assures an agile, ready force for the command, and is responsible for delivering Joint Force manning, human capital planning, headquarters strength management, and human resource and innovation policy in direct support of USSTRATCOM operations.
USSTRATCOM is comprised of more than 40,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and civilians responsible for Strategic Deterrence, Nuclear Operations, Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Enterprise Operations, Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, Global Strike and Missile Threat Assessment.
Col. Wengert has served as a Force Support Officer in a variety of positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. Notably, he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, United States Forces Korea, the Deputy Chief, Air Force Talent Management Innovation Cell, the Commander, 23d Force Support Squadron, and Commander, 8th Mission Support Group.
Col. Wengert hails from Boulder City, Nevada, where he was born and raised. He is married to Paris, and together they have two children: Ronald, a Captain in the US Army, and Davinia, a recent graduate from Brandeis University.
EDUCATION
1997 Honor Graduate, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
1997 Electrical Systems Specialist School, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2000 Associate of Applied Science, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Leadership, Chapman University, Orange, Calif.
2002 Basic Manpower Officer School, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2003 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Masters of Business Administration, Southwest University, Kenner, La.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Antiterrorism Evasive Driving Course, Fort Leonard Wood, Kan.
2015 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2015 National Interagency Operations, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2015 Masters of Military Art and Science, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2019 Air Component Senior Leader Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2022 National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2022 Human Capital Strategy Certificate, Yale School of Management, Yale University, Conn.
2023 Machine Learning in Business Certificate, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mass.
2023 Joint Professional Military Education II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 2002 – November 2003, Manpower Officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. December 2003 –November 2004, Executive Officer to the Commander, 30th Mission Support Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3. December 2004 – September 2005, Chief of Protocol, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
4. October 2005 – January 2006, Chief of Protocol, 14th Air Force, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
5. February 2006 – August 2006, Commander, Combat Support Flight, 60th Services Squadron, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
6. September 2006 – January 2008, Executive Officer to the Commander, 60th Air Base Wing, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
7. February 2008 – May 2008, Commander, Military Personnel Flight, 4th Force Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
8. June 2008 – February 2010, Commander, Sustainment Services Flight, 4th Force Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
9. March 2010 – August 2011, Operations Officer, 4th Force Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
10. September 2011 – February 2012, Chief, Base Support Officer Development, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
11. March 2012 – September 2012, Assignments Officer, 38F Assignments Team, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
12. October 2012 – March 2013, Executive Officer to the Executive Director, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio Randolph, Texas
13. April 2013 – June 2014, Director Joint of Manpower and Personnel, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan
14. July 2014 – June 2015, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
15. July 2015 – June 2017, Commander, 23d Force Support Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
16. July 2017 – June 2019, Executive Officer to the Commander, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
17. July 2019 – May 2020, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air Forces Central Command, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
18. June 2020 –July 2021, Director-Forward, Manpower, Personnel, and Services, Air Forces Central Command, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
19. August 2021 – May 2022, National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
20. June 2022 – May 2023, Deputy Director, Air Force Talent Management Innovation Cell, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel, and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Va.
21. June 2023 – July 2024, Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Forces Korea; Assistance Chief of Staff for Personnel, United Nations Command; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Combined Forces Command, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea
22. July 2024 – July 2026, Commander, 87th Mission Support Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
23. July 2026 – present, Director, Human Capital Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2013 – June 2014, Director of Joint Manpower and Personnel, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan
2. July 2019 – May 2020, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air Forces Central Command, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
3. June 2023 – July 2024, Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Forces Korea; Assistance Chief of Staff for Personnel, United Nations Command; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Combined Forces Command, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, December 20, 2002
First Lieutenant, December 20, 2004
Captain, December 20, 2006
Major, November 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel, September 1, 2017
Colonel, April 1, 2023
Link: Biography.pdf
(Current as of July 2026)