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Blue Horizon AY 18 Bios

  • Published
  • USAF Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
Colonel Michael Artelli was commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy. He has held leadership positions at the Headquarters Air Force level, two Major Commands and two component Numbered Air Forces. As an USAF Test Pilot School graduate, he has flown more than 30 types of military aircraft and conducted over a hundred F-15 and F-16 flight test missions. Colonel Artelli has 19 published journal articles and technical papers. He was the Commandant of the Community College of the Air Force and Commander of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Major Matthew D. Bejcek
is a career space officer with experience in both nuclear and space operations. He is a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Weapon School and served as his squadron’s Chief of Weapons and Tactics, responsible for the exploration and development of tactics, techniques and procedures for one of Air Force Space Command’s premier experimental missions. In his latest assignment, he served as a strategy division planner at the 603d Air Operations Center with follow-on duty as a Deputy Chief of Staff for Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe. Maj Bejcek commissioned through the ROTC program and holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a MS in Strategic Intelligence.

Major Paul Brehm
is a CV-22B Instructor Pilot originally from Madison, Wisconsin. Major Brehm graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2004 with a BS in Engineering Mechanics. Following pilot training he flew the F-16CJ at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, before transitioning in 2008 to fly the U-28A at Hurlburt Field, Florida. As a U-28A Evaluator Pilot Major Brehm deployed seven times to various locations and served as the Chief of Research and Development, working directly with Big Safari and USSOCOM to develop, test, and field advanced hardware and software solutions to meet evolving ISR requirements. In 2014 Major Brehm was selected for AFSOC’s new Commando Reach program to transition to the CV-22B. Stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, as part of the 20th Special Operations Squadron, Major Brehm was an Assistant Director of Operations and deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Lt Col Chris Cassem
graduated from the University of Florida’s Air Force ROTC program in 1998 with a degree in computer engineering. He also holds a MS in global leadership from the University of San Diego’s School of Business. A career F-15E Weapons Officer, his experience includes two operational assignments, where he flew combat sorties in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and SOUTHERN WATCH. Additionally, Lt Col Cassem served as an instructor at the USAF Weapons School and as the deputy director of the Pacific Air Forces Commander’s Action Group. He was also selected as the 2012 Air Force Fellow at the National Intelligence University, where he wrote a classified post-graduate dissertation on the development of a non-kinetic order of battle. Prior to this assignment, he was the commander of the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, FL.

Major Dwayne A. Clark
is a career intelligence officer with assignments spanning across Air Combat Command, Pacific Command, U.S. Forces Korea and Strategic Command, augmented with multiple deployments. He has experience with fighter, bomber, mobility and ISR unit-level intelligence, tactical and operational level targeting, analysis and collection. Most recently, he was selected as an Air University Fellow where he served two years a part of Squadron Officer College faculty and his final year as a Blue Horizon Fellow. He earned his commission from Louisiana Tech University with a B.A in Political Science.

Lt Col Matthew R. Domsalla
is an experimental test pilot with over 2,200 hours in a wide variety of aircraft, including the A-10A/C, F-16C/D, and RQ-4. He commanded Air Force Life Management Center Detachment 3 in San Diego, California, supporting the MQ-9 program. He has also served as an experimental test pilot at both Edwards Air Force Base in California and Eglin Air Force Base in Florida supporting the A-10, F-16, F-22, F-35, and RQ-4 flight test programs. Prior to becoming a test pilot, he flew the A/OA-10A. Lt Col Domsalla graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He holds master’s degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the USAF Test Pilot School, and the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies.

Major William R. Gery was commissioned from ROTC after graduating with a BA in Sociology from West Virginia University. He is a Senior Combat Systems Officer with over 1100 flight hours in the EC-130H Compass Call, including over 400 hours in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He has served as the Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell Chief for Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR and most recently served as the Combat Air Force’s WEPTAC Chairman, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB. He is a graduate of the USAF Weapons School, served as an Assistant Director of Operations in the 55 Electronic Combat Group, and was Deputy Chief, S1N, National Security Agency, Ft. Meade. Maj Gery holds a MSM with distinction from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a MSSI from the National Intelligence University, and is a joint qualified officer.

Lt Col Aaron Gibney is an Air Battle Manager and most recently served as the Commander of the 606th Air Control Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy. During this time, Aaron led multiple combat deployments and his unit’s relocation from Spangdahlem AB, Germany to Italy. He is a Weapons School graduate with more than 1,600 flying hours to include over 700 combat hours on the E-8C JSTARS. Aaron received his commission from the Indiana University ROTC program in 1999 with a BA in History and more recently his masters from the USAF’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies.

Major Brian T. Higgins was commissioned through Louisiana State University ROTC in 2006 with a B.S. in Computer Science. He is a 2014 graduate of the Cyberspace Weapons Instructor Course, USAF Weapons School. Maj Higgins most recently served as Weapons Assistant Director of Operations for the 91st Cyberspace Operations Squadron where he was also an instructor and an evaluator. Additionally, he has conducted cyberspace operations planning and command and control at the 624th Operations Center, Headquarters PACAF and Headquarters CENTCOM.

Lt Col Dan Javorsek
is an experimental test pilot and former squadron commander with over 2000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft including the F-22 and F-16. He also holds advanced degrees in science/engineering and periodically dabbles in topics ranging from quantum mechanics and astroparticle physics to the flight test implications of complexity theory. Dan's extra-curricular physics tangents are supported by his beautiful bride Eleanor and their two wonderful daughters, Mary Charlotte and Amelia.

Lt Col William Mamourieh is a career acquisition officer and received his commission from the USAF Officer Training School in 2001. He has served in a variety of acquisition, intelligence, and staff assignments at the squadron, group, wing, Numbered Air Force, Combatant Command, and Headquarters Air Force in support of multiple combatant commanders. His roles include: Program Manager (PM) for the Big Safari Systems Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; Division Chief, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Division at Hurlburt Field, FL; ISR Portfolio Analyst, Secretary of the Air Force, Acquisition Integration and Executive Officer, Headquarter Air Force, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Pentagon, DC; and a joint assignment as a Materiel Leader for Program Executive Office, Special Operations Warrior, PM-Sensitive Activities, at US Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL. Lt Col Mamourieh earned a Master of Science in Defense Analysis in Special Operations Irregular Warfare at the Naval Post-Graduate School.

Major Melissa J. Milner is a career public affairs officer who most recently served as the public affairs advisor and speechwriter for the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. She has served at the Joint Staff, the Air Staff, air and space operations center, major command and wing levels. Other notable assignments include two deployments to provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan and one to the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NEW DAWN. Major Milner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Louisiana
Tech University, was commissioned in 2004 after completing Officer Training School, and holds a master's degree in International Relations from American Military University.

Maj Mark Schnell most recently served as the 33d Operations Group F-35 Chief of Standardization and Evaluations at Eglin AFB, Florida. Maj Schnell is a Nebraska native and received his commission into the U.S. Air Force in 2006 from Kansas State University Reserve Officer Training Corps. He graduated from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and served as a first assignment instructor pilot in the T-38C before becoming an A-10C pilot. As an A-10C instructor pilot and flight commander, Maj Schnell flew over 100 combat sorties totaling 486 combat hours in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Maj Schnell then transitioned to become an F-35A instructor/evaluator pilot at Eglin AFB where he led the largest F-35 movement to date. Maj Schnell is a senior pilot with over 2,600 flight hours. He holds a BS in secondary education (chemistry/physics) and MA in History from American Military University.

Major Matthew Stampher is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a BS in Economics. He is a senior pilot with over 2,900 hours in the RQ-4 and C-17A. He has flown more than 600 combat hours in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and Operation NEW DAWN. Prior to his assignment as a Blue Horizons Fellow, Major Stampher was the 69th Reconnaissance Group's Detachment One Director of Operations at Andersen AFB, Guam, responsible for all Global Hawk operations in the Pacific Theater. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.

Major Matt S. Stewart was commissioned through ROTC at Texas Christian University. He is a C-130J pilot with assignments at Dyess AFB, TX and Little Rock AFB, AR; he has over 750 combat hours. Before he attended pilot training he was a C-130E/H Instructor Navigator. Prior to the Blue Horizons Fellowship, Major Stewart was the Executive Officer for the Air Force’s Directorate of Programs at the Pentagon. He holds a Master of Science in Management degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Lt Col Jennifer Vecchione is a career biomedical sciences officer who most recently served as the Executive Officer to Seventh Air Force, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. She is an Arkansas native and a 1996 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science with emphasis in Human Factors. After test analysis work at the Air Force Occupational Measurement Center, she completed a Masters degree in Physical Therapy from the U.S. Army-Baylor program. She has served in various executive and clinical medicine roles to include Deputy Commander, 99th Medical Operations Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Commander, 15th Medical Operations Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. She is board certified in Orthopedics.

Maj Jessica Wright commissioned in 2006 via R.O.T.C. at the University of Kansas. A core acquisition officer, Maj Wright also graduated the Intelligence Officer Training as a Distinguished Graduate.  As a program manager, she has worked in the Air Force Research Lab focusing on counter-IED technologies and in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in both the C2ISR and Special Program divisions. Prior to her assignment as a Blue Horizons Fellow, Maj Wright served as the Executive Officer to the PEO for C3I&N at Hanscom Air Force Base. She has deployed in support of OEF, OIF, OIR and USSOUTHCOM.