Chief Master Sergeant COLBY C. BRUSCH

CMSgt Colby C. Brusch serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the 374th Maintenance Group at Yokota Air Base, Japan, advising the commander on matters involving 627 personnel. He also oversees training, resource allocation, morale, and career development. The
374th Maintenance Group maintains 14 C-130J, 3 C-12J, and 4 UH-1N aircraft for various missions, including intra-theater airlift, deployments, training, contingencies, POW/MIA repatriation, bilateral engagements, and humanitarian support across the INDOPACOM theater. They also support ACC RQ-4 operations and conduct isochronal inspections for AFSOC CV-22 and MC-130J aircraft.

Chief Brusch entered the Air Force in December 1997 and completed C-130 Crew Chief technical training in June 1998. His background includes duties within the maintenance realm including Quality Assurance, Flightline Expediter, and Production Superintendent. While most of his time has been spent on the C-130, he has also worked C-5s, C-141s, C-17s, F-15s, and Mi-17s. He has served in various assignments CONUS and overseas as well as deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Flying Crew Chief and Operation Enduring Freedom as an Air Advisor. Prior to his current position, Chief Brusch served as the Inspector General SEL, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

EDUCATION
2002 Airman Leadership School, Royal Air Force Feltwell, UK
2010 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun Air Station, Germany
2011 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, by correspondence
2012 Associate in Applied Science, Aviation Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2012 Airframe and Powerplant Certification, Federal Aviation Administration
2013 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2013 Jet Engine Mishap Investigation Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course, Joint Forces Staff College
2013 Air Advisor Course, McGuire AFB, New Jersey
2014 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2016 Master of Science, Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2019 Chief Leadership Course, Gunter Annex, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education 2, Joint Forces Staff College
2023 Joint Unconventional Warfare Course, Joint Special Operations University
2023 Middle East and South Asia Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates Inc.

ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. December 1997 – January 1998, STUDENT, Basic Training, Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas
2. March 1998 – June 1998, STUDENT, Technical Training School, Sheppard AFB, TX
3. June – July 1998, STUDENT, Technical Training School, Little Rock AFB, AR
4.August 1998 – May 2001, AVIATION MAINTENANCE APPRENTICE and AVIATION MAINTENANCE JOURNEYMAN, 62nd AirliftSquadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
5.May 2001 – February 2002, WEAPONS SYSTEM COORDINATOR, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, AR
6.February 2002 – April 2004, EN ROUTE AEROSPACE MAINTENANCE JOURNEYMAN and EN ROUTE AEROSPACEMAINTENANCE CRAFTSMAN, 727th Air Mobility Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall, UK
7.March 2005 – March 2008, ISOCHRONAL INSPECTION SECTION COORDINATOR, 374th Maintenance Squadron, Yokota AirBase (AB), Japan (May 2007 – September 2007 FLYING CREW CHIEF, 386th Air Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Ali Al Salem AB,Kuwait)
8.April 2008 – October 2009, SHIFT SUPERVISOR and FLIGHTLINE EXPEDITER, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
9.October 2009 – June 2011, QUALITY ASSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE, 86th Maintenance Operations Squadron, Ramstein AB,Germany
10. June 2011 – December 2014, PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDENT, 402d Aircraft Maintenance Group, Robins AFB,
(October 2013 – October 2014 MI-17 PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDENT ADVISOR, 442d Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron,Kandahar AB, Afghanistan)
11.January 2015 – April 2016, FLIGHT CHIEF, MAINTENANCE FLIGHT, 374th Maintenance Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
12.April 2016 – May 2017, GROUP TRANSITION MANAGER, 374th Maintenance Group, Yokota AB, Japan
13.May 2017 – November 2019, SUPPORT AND PROGRAMS FLIGHT CHIEF and AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE UNITSUPERINTENDENT, 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
14.November 2019 – February 2022, SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER, 752d Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, UK
15.February 2022 – July 2024, INSPECTOR GENERAL SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL
16.July 2024 – Present, SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER, 374th Maintenance Group, Yokota AB, Japan

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 – Distinguished Graduate, Airman Leadership School, RAF Feltwell, UK
2006 – Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year, 374th MXS, Yokota AB, Japan
2007 – Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year, 374th MXS, Yokota AB, Japan
2013 – Air Advisor of the Year, 442nd Air Advisory Squadron, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan
2014 – Lt General Leo Marquez Supervisor Manager Aircraft Maintenance Award, AFMC
2016 – Maintenance Support Professional of the Year, 374th MXG, Yokota AB, Japan
2017 – Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 374th MXG, Yokota AB, Japan

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic Dec 3, 1997
Airman Jun 3, 1998
Airman First Class Apr 3, 1999
Senior Airman Dec 3, 2000
Staff Sergeant Dec 1, 2002
Technical Sergeant Apr 1, 2008
Master Sergeant Mar 1, 2013
Senior Master Sergeant Dec 1, 2016
Chief Master Sergeant Oct 1, 2019

(Current as of Jul 2024)