Col. Brett Waring is the commander, 476th Fighter Group, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. As the commander, he is responsible for the well-being of more than 200 maintenance, operations, logistics, medical and support personnel. The 476 FG is a geographically separated unit from its parent wing, the 442d Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo., and is a Reserve classic association aligned with the 23rd Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
Waring received his commission from the Air Force Academy in 1996. He has served as a fighter pilot, A-10 instructor and evaluator, A-10 Weapons School instructor pilot, Director of Personnel Recovery for 3 Corps in Iraq, a staff tour in the United States Air Forces in Europe Weapons and Tactics Division.
The colonel has served in six contingency deployments supporting Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, to include flying in the formation that conducted the first fixed wing attacks inside Iraq in 2003. He also served as a rescue mission commander and ground liaison during Operation Red Wings (Lone Survivor) in 2005, overseeing the effective recovery of 19 Americans and one survivor in the largest joint combat search and rescue since the Vietnam War. Prior to his current position, he was chief of safety and an A-10C instructor pilot for the 924th Fighter Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
EDUCATION:
1996 Bachelor of Science, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2009 Master of Military Arts and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air War College, by correspondence
2013 Master of Humanities, California State University, Dominguez Hills
ASSIGNMENTS:
- 1996-1997 Ass’t Academic Affairs Officer, Department of English, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
- 1997-1998 Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
- 1998-1998 Student, A-10 RTU, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- 1998-2000 Squadron Scheduler, 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea
- 2000-2002 Flight Safety Officer, 23d Fighter Group, Pope AFB, N.C. (Operation NORTHERN WATCH, Incirlik AB, Turkey, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, Ahmed Al-Jabar AB, Kuwait, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
- 2002-2003 Flight Commander, 75th Fighter Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C. (Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Ahmed Al Jabar AB, Kuwait)
- 2003 Student, USAF Weapons School Class 03BIV, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- 2004-2005 Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 74th Fighter Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C. (Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
- 2005-2007 Flight Commander, 66th WPS, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- 2007 Chief, Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell, Camp Victory, Iraq
- 2007-2008 Assistant Chief, 57th Wing Stan Eval, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- 2008-2009 Student, Air Command and Staff College
- 2009-2012 Deputy Chief, USAFE Weapons and Tactics, Ramstein AB, Germany (Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Kandahar AB and Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
- 2012-2013 Director of Operations, 548th CTS/Det 1, Barksdale AFB, La.
- 2013-2015 Commander, 548th CTS/Det 1, Barksdale AFB, La.
- 2015-2017 Deputy Group Commander, 355th Operations Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- 2017-2019 Director of Staff, 355th Operations Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- 2019-2022 Chief of Safety/A-10C Instructor, 924th Fighter Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
- 2022-Present Commander, 476th Fighter Group, Moody AFB, Ga.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
May-Sep 2007, Chief: Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell, 3 Corps, Camp Victory, Iraq as a Major
June 2012-June 2015, Director of Operations and Commander, Det 1 548th CTS, Joint Readiness Training Center (Green Flag East), as a Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3400 including more than 660 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, A-29, A-10A, A-10C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal (with Valor) with thirteen oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
NATO Medal
USAF Weapons Instructor Course Flying Award- 2003
SUPT Flying Awards: T-37 Instrument and T-38 Low-Level, 1998
PUBLICATIONS
The Individual in War Literature: A Case Study of W.D. Ehrhart, Thesis, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2012
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1996
First Lieutenant May 29, 1998
Captain May 29, 2000
Major May 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2011
Colonel April 1, 2022
(Current as of November 2023)