Colonel Brian C. Epperson is the Director, Joint Plans, Modeling, and Simulation, Algorithmic Warfare Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, Washington, D.C. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Deputy Chief, South and Central Asia Division, Deputy Directorate for Politico-Military Affairs, Middle East, Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy, on the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. During his service as Commander, 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, 451st Air Expeditionary Group, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, he led the Air Force's first and only KC-135 squadron stationed in Afghanistan, comprised of 14 aircraft more than one thousand (rotational) total force Airmen. Colonel Epperson received his commission through Officer Training School after graduating from the University of Louisville. He holds the aeronautical rating of command pilot with more than 3,000 hours, hours, including more than 1,250 combat hours in the KC-135R/T/RT and C-5A/B/M, and has also flown the T-6A and T1-A. Colonel Epperson has held numerous other positions at the squadron, group, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and headquarters Air Force, Air Staff levels.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration - University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
2002 Aerospace Basic Course - Maxwell AFB, AL
2009 Squadron Officer School - Maxwell AFB, AL
2009 Master of Business Administration - Touro University International, Los Alamitos, CA
2014 Master of Military Operational Arts and Sciences - Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2019 Air War College, by correspondence
2021 Master of Arts, National Resource Strategy - The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2023 Jewish Institute for National Security In America's U.S. Military Leaders Program, Tel Aviv, Israel
2023 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Course - International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation
2023 Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy Certificate Program - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management / Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT Sloan and MIT CSAIL)
2023 - Foundations of Project Management - Google (Alphabet) Corporation
ASSIGNMENTS
- July 2002 - June 2004, C-32 Integrated Logistics Support Officer, Executive Officer to the Director, Mobility Systems Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- July 2004 - November 2005, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Moody AFB, GA and Laughlin AFB, TX
- December 2005 - May 2006, Student, KC-135R Pilot Initial Qualification course, Air Mobility Training Center, Altus AFB, OK
- May 2006 - December 2010, KC-135R/T/RT Instructor Pilot, Scheduling Officer, Flight Commander, and Operations Group Chief Executive Officer, 344th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell AFB, KS
- December 201O - March 2011, C-5A/B Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification oourse, Kelly Field, Lackland AFB, TX
- March 2011 - July 2013, C-5A/B/M Instructor Pilot, Chief of Squadron Training, 9th Airlift Squadron and Chief of Wing Training, 436th Operations Support Squadron, Dover AFB, DE
- July 2013 - June 2014, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
- June 2014 - March 2017, Chief, Air Refueling Programming Branch and Executive Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- March 2017 - May 2018, Director of Operations, 93d Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild AFB, WA
- May 2018 - May 2019, Commander, 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan
- May 2019 - July 2020, Deputy Division Chief Mobility, Vertical Lift, and Special Operations Requirements Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- August 2020 - June 2021, Student, The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- June 2021 - June 2023, Deputy Chief, Joint Staff J5 - Middle East Directorate, South and Central Asia Division, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- June 2023 - Present, Director, Joint Plans, Modeling, and Simulation, Algorithmic Warfare Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2021 - June 2023, Deputy Chief, Joint Staff J5 - Middle East Directorate, South and Central Asia Division, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel.
- June 2023- Present, Director, Joint Plans, Modeling, and Simulation, Algorithmic Warfare Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, Washington, D.C., as a Colonel.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,000 total; including more than 1,300 combat hours Aircraft flown: T-6A, T1-A, KC-135R/T/RT, C-5A/B/M
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one "C" Device and seven oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star NATO Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 28 June 2002
First Lieutenant 28 June 2004
Captain 28 June 2006
Major 01 September 2012
Lieutenant Colonel 01 June 2017
Colonel 01 June 2023
(Current as of April 2024)