JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Lt. Col. Bryan G. Howard, chief of the Capability Integration Branch of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Human Resources Systems Division, was awarded the Bronze Star Nov. 16 by Lt. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFLCMC commander, during a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex.
Howard is assigned to JBSA-Randolph and the branch is a part of the Business Enterprise Systems Directorate, located at Gunter Annex in Montgomery, Alabama, near Maxwell Air Force Base.
Howard received the award for meritorious achievement as director of the Modernization and Air Advisor Plans Directorate, Train Advise Assist Command-Air, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force at Forward Operating Base Oqab, Kabul, Afghanistan, from Oct. 31, 2018 to Sept. 12, 2019.
During this period, in support of Operation FREEDOM'S SENTINEL, he conducted 14 dismounted outside-the-wire key leadership engagements to advise and mentor Afghan Air Force senior leaders on force shaping, strategic planning and aircraft allocation and acquisition, while exposed to danger from rocket attacks, insider threats and direct fire engagements.
He also led the Train Advise Assist Command-Air's optimization planning efforts to re-design the command, based on the Afghan Air Force’s growing independence, integration and professionalism, resulting in a 43 percent manpower reduction in the Air Force's largest 365-day deployment requirements by consolidating two groups, seven squadrons and eight directorates to align the command across the Resolute Support mission.
While in Afghanistan, Howard engaged with five coalition and joint commands, the Resolute Support staff, Afghan Ministry of Defense, and Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan to develop UH-60 requirements, funding and training that resulted in the implementation of Afghan Air Force program or record, and ultimately the combat employment of 45 aircraft by 21 trained Afghan crews within one year of program inception.
After recognizing an Afghan Air Force urgent operational need for precision guided munitions, he remedied a critical shortfall in the fielding of the advanced precision kill weapons system by proposing an expedited purchase of 900 additional rockets valued at $27 million. This accelerated purchase resulted in the bridging of a weapons capability gap, and fielded a critical combat enabler for the Afghan Air Force 18 months ahead of the standard weapons procurement process.