Colonel Brent W. Murrell is the Deputy Commander, 927th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He is responsible for the organization, training, equipping, and worldwide readiness of a reserve wing. The 927th Air Refueling Wing supports contingencies and humanitarian operations around the world with in-flight air refueling, cargo airlift and passenger movement in the KC-135R Stratotanker. The wing provides additional combat-ready forces from Aerospace Medicine, Logistics Readiness, Security Forces, Force Support, Operations Support, and Aeromedical Evacuation squadrons
Col. Murrell graduated from Air Force Officer Training School and joined the 919th Special Operations Wing in 2002. He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training and C-130 Mission Qualification, where he was a Distinguished Graduate of both programs. From 2002 to 2016, Colonel Murrell was assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron and the 919th Special Operations Support Squadron where he served as an instructor pilot in the MC- 130E and evaluator pilot in the C-145A. During this period, he also served in the 919th Special Operations Group as Chief of Group Weapons and Tactics and Chief of Group Standardization and Evaluation.
In 2017, Colonel Murrell transitioned to the 859th Special Operations Squadron flying the C-146A, where he served as the Squadron Commander from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, he has served as the Commander of the 492nd Expeditionary Special Operations Group - South, the Commander of the Joint Special Operations Air Component at Special Operations Command South, as an Air Operations Officer at U.S. Special Operations Command J31, as a Project Officer at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, and Program Manager at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command. Murrell was the Deputy Commander, 919th Special Operations Group, Duke Field, Florida., from July 2023 until Oct. 2023. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Murrell served as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Identity Management at United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)
2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)
2017 Masters of Military Operational Art & Science, Air Command and Staff College (in-residence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL (by correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 2002 – April 2003, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, 41st Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. April 2003 – November 2003, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Training Squadron Thirty-Five (VT-35), NAS Corpus Christi, Texas.
3. January 2004 – April 2004, Student, C-130E Initial Qualification Course, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
4. April 2004 – April 2005, Student, MC-130E Initial Qualification Course, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. April 2005 – March 2008, Aircrew Flight Equipment Officer, MC-130 Aircraft Commander, 711th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla..
6. May 2005 – October 2005, Foreign Language Training Program Manager (A3TF), Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. March 2008 – March 2011, Chief, Group Weapons and Tactics, MC-130E Instructor Pilot, 919th Special Operations Support Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
8. March 2011 – April 2014, Chief of Strategic Plans/Programs, 919th Special Operations Support Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
9. January 2012 – April 2012, Student, C-145A Initial Qualification Course, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. April 2014 – August 2014, Chief, Group Standardization and Evaluation, C-145A Evaluator Pilot, 919th Special Operations Group, Duke Field, Fla.
11. August 2014 – July 2016, Assistant Operations Officer, 919th Special Operations Support Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
12. April 2016 – July 2016, Aircrew Resources and Requirements Project Officer (A3R), Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. July 2016 – June 2017, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. July 2017 – December 2017, Student, C-146A Initial Qualification Course, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. July 2017 – January 2021, Assistant Operations Officer, 859th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
16. August 2018 – September 2020, Air and ISR Operations Officer, US Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. (August 2019 – December 2019, Commander, Joint Special Operations Air Component – South, Special Operations Command – South, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.)
17. January 2021 – July 2023, Commander, 859th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla. (October 2021 – January 2022, Commander, 492nd Expeditionary Special Operations Group – South, Duke Field, Fla.)
18. July 2023 – October 2023, Deputy Commander, 919th Special Operations Group, Duke Field, Fla.
19. October 2023 – present, Identity Management Officer, US Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 2023 – present, Identity Management Officer, US Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Florida.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000 military and civilian
Aircraft flown: T-37, TC-12, C-130E, MC-130E, C-145A, C-146A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 ‘M’ Device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with device
Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2017 SPIRIT 03 Award Winner, C-146A Mission Qualification
2011 AFSOC Commander’s Leadership Award, Air Commando Association
2004 Distinguished Graduate, C-130E Initial Qualification
2003 Distinguished Graduate, USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training
2003 Commodore’s List with Distinction, Training Air Wing Four
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant September 27, 2002
First Lieutenant September 27, 2004
Captain September 27, 2006
Major September 27, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel September 27, 2016
Colonel September 27, 2023
(Current as of March 2025)