A 2001 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs will be the school's next commandant. Col. Brandon J. Tellez will take over for retiring Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks this summer.
Currently, Tellez is the senior executive officer to the Air Force vice chief of staff based at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. There, he works with the vice chief on policies, plans and programs for the service.
Air Force Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfiend said in a statement that Tellez is a "combat-tested leader who understands the demands of current and future military operations," adding that he is "exceptionally well-qualified to ensure our cadets embody a warfighter mindset."
Tellez, a command pilot, has multiple deployments around the world and has flown an F-15C jet as well as the F-22A Raptor. He also holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in National Security Resourcing Strategy from the National Defense University.
After next month's change of command ceremony, Tellez will become the Academy's 32nd Commandant of Cadets, a position that supervises around 4,300 students.
