Col. Brett W. Cochran is the Deputy Commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. He assists the Wing Commander in the management, training, command and control of the Department of Defense’s only airlift wing in the Pacific theater. As the Western Pacific Airlift hub, Yokota Air Base provides mission-ready forces and base operating support to guarantee U.S. forward presence and crisis response.
Colonel Cochran entered the Air Force in December 2002 through ROTC from the University of North Texas. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training in 2004 and is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours from serving in multiple mobility flying units throughout his career. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Cochran was the Military Deputy for the Rapid Global Mobility and Special Operations Forces Division, Directorate of Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs at Headquarters United States Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.
Colonel Cochran is a command pilot with over 3,000 hours in T-37, T-44A, C-130E/H, C-130J, and KC-10A aircraft.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Arts, Business, University of North Texas, Denton, Tex.
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Master of Arts, Business Administration, Trident International University, Cal.
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Arts, National Security Studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
2016 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2021 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2003 – May 2003, Additional Duty Officer, ROTC Detachment 835, University of North Texas, Denton, Tex.
2. May 2003 – November 2003, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 84th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Tex.
3. November 2003 – July 2004, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Training Squadron 31, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Tex.
4. August 2004 – December 2004, Student, C-130 Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
5. January 2005 – February 2009, C-130H Evaluator Pilot, Assistant Flight Commander, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Tex.
6. March 2009 – March 2012, C-130H Instructor Pilot, Chief of Command Post, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
7. March 2012 – July 2014, KC-10 Instructor Pilot, Chief of Plans and Programs, 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ.
8. July 2014 – June 2015, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport Naval Station, Newport, RI.
9. June 2015 – June 2017, Joint Planner, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va.
10. June 2017 – July 2020, C-130J Pilot, Chief of Safety, 86th Airlift Wing; Commander, 86th Operations Support Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
11. July 2020 – June 2021, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pa.
12. June 2021 – June 2023, Military Deputy, Rapid Global Mobility/Special Operations Forces Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force, Arlington, Va.
13. June 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2015 – June 2017, Joint Planner, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: more than 3000
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-44A, C-130E/H, C-130J, KC-10A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 27, 2002
First Lieutenant December 27, 2004
Captain May December 27, 2006
Major November 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2016
Colonel July 1, 2022
(Current as of July 2023)