MAJOR GENERAL BRADLEY A. SWANSON
Retired
Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Swanson was the Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the Mobilization Assistant, he is responsible for supporting the execution of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America to include the Canadian, Alaskan, and continental United States NORAD Regions within the bi-national command.General Swanson was commissioned in May 1989 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Oklahoma State University. He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in a variety of aircraft to include the F-15E, F-16, and C-130H and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing level. He has significant combat operations and leadership experience in a variety of operational assignments, contingency operations, and Headquarters Air Staff assignments. He has flown combat sorties in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, Operation DENY FLIGHT and DELIBERATE FORCE, as well as Operation NOTHERN WATCH and IRAQI FREEDOM.
Prior to his current assignment, he was the Director of Exercises and Training, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He was responsible for designing, coordinating and conducting exercises and training, improving war-fighting capabilities, advancing U.S. Central Command theater security cooperation goals and maintaining joint and combined readiness throughout the 20 nation U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla.
1996 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1998 Master of Science, Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2011 Fellow, Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington, D.C.
2011 National Security Studies Management Course (NSSMC), Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2012 Joint Task Force Commander Course, United States Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2016 Air Force Senior Leader Orientation Course, National Capital Region, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2016 Senior Executives in National and International Security Program, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston, Mass.
2017 CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2019 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar (ASLDS), Warrenton, Va.
2019 Combined Force Air Component Commander's Course (CFACC)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1989 - April 1991, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma
2. April 1991 - December 1991, F-15E Initial Qualification Training, 461st Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
3. December 1991 - April 1995, F-15E Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina
4. April 1995 - January 1996, F-15E Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander, 494th Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
5. January 1996 - June 1996, Student, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
6. June 1996 - March 1998, F-15E Instructor Pilot; Assistant Chief, Weapons and Tactics Instructor Pilot; Flight Commander; Mission Commander; Flight Examiner, 494th Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
7. March 1998 - March 2000, - April 2002, Action Officer; Chief, Air Interdiction Planning Cell, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March Air Force Base, California
8. March 2000 - April 2002, Action Officer; Chief, Air Interdiction Planning Cell, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March AFB, Calif.
9. April 2002 - August 2004, F-16 Pilot; Chief, Wing Plans, 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma
10. August 2004 - July 2005, Combat Forces Action Officer, Directorate of Operations, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia
11. July 2005 - August 2008, Chief, Combat Forces; F-16 Program Element Monitor, Directorate of Plans and Programs, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia
12. August 2008 - June 2009, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
13. June 2009 - August 2010, Executive Officer to the Director, Air National Guard, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia
14. August 2010 - October 2011, Commander, 201st Mission Support Squadron; Vice Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
15. October 2011 - July 2013, Commander, 113th Operations Group, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
16. July 2013 - July 2014, Director, Plans and Programs, National Guard Bureau, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
17. July 2014 - February 2016, Commander, 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyoming
18. February 2016 - September 2017, Director, A-5/8/9, NGB, Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, MD
19. September 2017 - June 2019, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, United States Central Command, MacDill AFB, FL
20. July 2019 - May 2021, Director, Exercises and Training Directorate United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL
21. May 2021 - July 2022, Mobilization Assistant to NORAD Director of Operations, Peterson AFB, CO
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: Over 3,000, to include more than 240 combat hours
Aircraft flown: F-15E, F-16, C-130, AT-38, T-38 and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Gold Border
Air Force Outstanding Unit with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon (Long)
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air Force Longevity Service Award with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Gold Hourglass
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle)
Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 22, 1989
First Lieutenant Aug. 22, 1991
Captain Aug. 22, 1993
Major April 2, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel June 29, 2005
Colonel April 10, 2009
Brigadier General Feb. 8, 2016
Major General May 15, 2019
(Current as of July 2024)
