GBA History Project – Chief Master Sergeant Brady Armistead, 1991 – 2016 (dates estimated)
- Basic Training, April 1991 – May 1991
- Came in to be a Survival Instructor
- Had a “guaranteed job” back up as a computer network specialist
- Survival wasn’t hiring at the time
- I wasn’t qualified for the computer job because I was “not eligible based on my college loans and credit cards” prevented me from getting a TS/SCI
- I was placed in weather (251X0), with the final paragraph of the job description at the time saying, “So weather specialists work with Army Special Forces units and are jump qualified.”
- Weather Apprentice Course, Chanute AFB, IL, May-July 1991
- While attending the course, broke my ankle on a run
- When the Weather Parachutist recruiter (Gene King) came to do the spiel, I was on crutches.He told me then, “Nope, not with a broken ankle!”
- We were still tearing and filing via COMEDs, and used AFDIGs charts, etc.
- 92nd Bombardment Wing (Heavy), Fairchild AFB, WA – August 1991 – August 1992
- Served as an Observer
- B-52s and KC-135s
- FPS-77 Radar
- COMEDs and AFDIGs
- First generation AWDs
- Fire Storm of Oct, 1991 – observer
- Our Daughter, Katie, was born
- I volunteered for an assignment to Germany
- Army Flight Operations Detachment (USAREUR), Heidelberg, Germany, September 1992 – February 1993
- REFORGER 1992, "Certain Caravan"
- US Army Europe Automated Weather System (UAWS)
- GOLDWING
- Medically evacuated for medical care for Tina unavailable in Europe at the time
- M113 APC qualified
- 1st Weather Squadron, Fort Lewis, WA (US Army I Corps WETM, 2 ACR WETM), March 1993 – February 1994
- “Canned weather” for command post exercises
- GOLDWING
- North Fort CP exercises
- 5-ton truck driver for HHC, I Corps G2
- First generation WSR-88D
- First exposure to SOWT, 1 Special Forces Group (A)
- WETM FTXs – learned basics of field support to the Army
- 1st Weather Squadron Special Operations Weather Team, Fort Lewis, WA – February 1994 – July 1995
- Attended jump school, graduated 4 Feb 1994
- Assigned to 3 Battalion, 1 Special Forces Group
- GOLDWING
- PRC-134 and TRQ-43 communications for reconnaissance
- Completed Special Forces re-qualification requirements
- Deployed to Thailand for Cobra Gold, 1994
- Attended Water Survival, March 1994
- Attended Combat Survival, Fairchild AFB, August 1994
- Illegally began “cross training” into Pararescue March 1995 (returned upon the direction of the career field manager!)
- Attended Ranger Scout Swimmer, June 1995 (2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment)
- August 1995 – Sent to Forecasting School, Keesler AFB, MS
- 334 Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, MS, August 1995 – Feb 1996
- Forced the fight between then Superintendent of the Schoolhouse, and the commander, Maj. Strange (former weather parachutist) – we won – continued to wear Army patches, and berets
- Honor Graduate
- Det 1, 10 Combat Weather Squadron (AFSOC), Fort Lewis, WA,February 1996 – April 1997
- Deployed to Thailand for Cobra Gold 1996
- Jumpmaster, September 1996
- Multiple FTXs
- 24 Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Bragg, NC, April 1997 – April 2005
- Plank holder of the original SOWT
- Deployed multiple times in the first 6 months
- Multiple deployments besides 9/11-related tasks throughout assignment
- Attended key portions of Green Team, though not through the whole thing (team was operational almost immediately)
- Assigned to Squadron Operations initially
- Assigned to Blue Team as first team (Combined Assault, Recce, and PR Team)
- Attended closed-course MFF, 8 February 1999
- Attended SV-91A and SV-93A, February 1999
- Multiple Shooting Schools throughout assignment
- Multiple Driving Schools throughout assignment
- Assigned to Gray Team pre-9/11 (Clandestine Operations Team)
- Assigned to Silver Team pre-9/11 (Recce Team)
- Avalanche certifications, February 2000
- 9/11 – First boots on the ground reconnaissance mission, 15 October 2001
- Rescue of Knife 03 crew
- 21 Nov 2001 – Combat Jump onto Desert Landing Strip SHILO to establish USMC presence in Afghanistan
- Plank holder for Gold Team post 9/11 (Combined Assault, Recce, and PR Team)
- MFFJM, July 2002
- OIF deployment February 2003
- First recce elements across the border – led HIMARs system during initial entry
- 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, FL, May 2005 – June 2007
- Authored original SOWT Integration CONOP (stopped processing the AFSOC Chief of Staff level)
- Aligned 10 Combat Weather Squadron deployments on a cycle (got everyone on a “team” deployment cycle)
- Established training requirements for Advanced Skills Training (AST) as part of next generation SOWT members
- HQ AFSOC/A3W, June 2007 – June 2009
- Standards and Evaluation
- Training
- SOWT Operational Weather Squadron recruiting program
- AFSOC IG requirements
- Design and Build of Squadron Operations Facility for 10 CWS
- 10 Combat Weather Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL, June 2009 – July 2010
- Operations Superintendent
- 10 CWS Detachment Consolidation
- Established training and deployment cycle
- Established CONOPs process for operations
- Accounted for $1M in Air Force Audit Agency review
- Moved unit into new $14.7M built-for-purpose building
- Corrected shortfalls of transition from Army to Air Force requirements (parachutes, vehicles, supply, radio, etc.)
- Graduated Class 3, Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy (JSOFSEA)
- HQ USSOCOM Joint Special Operations University Enlisted Academy, August 2011 – August 2014
- Podium instructor, JSOFSEA
- Distance Learning Instructor, JSOFSEA
- Chief of Academics for Enlisted Academy
- Established Career Education Program per HQ directive
- CEP – 1 – Joint Fundamentals (8-weeks online)
- CEP – 2 – Enterprise Management (8-weeks online)
- CEP - 3 – Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy (9 months on line, 3 months in residence)
- CEP – 4 – SUMMIT – (4 weeks online, 3 weeks in residence, 1 week externship)
- Led Articulation agreements with multiple colleges
- Acted as Deputy Commandant pre-PCS to HQ AFSOC
- HQ AFSOC/A3OW, Hurlburt Field, FL – August 2014 – October 2016
- Delegated Career Field Management of SOWT
- Deployed as AFSOC LNO to HQ USSOCOM
- Deployed as Command Chief, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component-Afghanistan (CJSOAC-A)