COLONEL ERIK G. BRINE
Colonel Erik G. Brine currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to the Director of Air Force Legislative Liaison (SAF/LL). He previosly served as the Air Force’s Emergency Preparedneess Liaison Officer to Rhode Island and mobilized as part of the COVID response in this capacity to backfill that vacancy. Prior to this assignement he was a student at the Naval War College where he was selected to represent U.S. students in the National Command College, a leadership program for senior military officers from 49 countries, as well as a graduate certificate program in Ethics and Emerging Military Technology. Prior to the College, he served as a C-5 pilot and the Commander of the 439th Operations Support Squadron at Westover ARB, MA.
Col Brine is a graduate of Boston University where he earned his commission through ROTC and served on active duty for ten years in multiple flying assignments in C-21 and C-17 aircraft. He has deployed three times, has flown missions in 56 countries and has over 200 combat hours over Iraq and Afghanistan.
After leaving active duty in 2009, Lt Col Brine began his reserve career in the Pentagon with staff tours in the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs followed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In his civilian capacity he has served at the State Department as a Congressional Affairs Advisor, the U.S. Senate as Defense and Veterans Affairs Fellow, and the White House in the National Security Division of the Office of Management and Budget.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts in Physics with a minor in Biology, Boston University, Boston, Ma
2003 Air Mobility Operations Course, Air Mobility Warfare Center, Fort Dix, NJ
2003 United States Air Force Advanced Instrument School, Randolph Air Force Base, TX
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2006 LPASS, George C. Marshall European Center for International Security Studies, Garmisch, Germany
2007 Cross Cultural Communications Course, Joint Special Operations Univ., Hurlburt Fld, FL
2007 European Regional Intensive Seminar, Foreign Service Institute, Washington D.C.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2010 Eurasian Regional Intensive Seminar, Foreign Service Institute, Washington D.C.
2012 Advanced Study of Air Mobility, Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst
2012 Master of Science in Logistics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2012 Master of Policy Management, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
2012 Certificate in Legislative Studies, Government Affairs Institute, Georgetown University
2012 AFRC Leadership Today and Tomorrow, Washington D.C.
2013 Brookings Institution Executive Leadership Program, Inside Congress, Washington D.C.
2014 Reserve Officer Foreign Exchange Program - Germany
2014 NATO European Security Cooperation Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2014 Presidential Management Fellowship, Washington D.C.
2018 Master of Art in National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, RI
2018 Certificate in Ethics and Emerging Military Technology, Naval War College, Newport, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Sep 1998–May 1999, Executive Officer and Pilot Scheduler, Andrews AFB, MD
2. Jun 1999–Sep 2000, Student, SUPT, Columbus AFB, MS
3. Sep 2000–Jun 2004, C-21A Evaluator/Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training and Current Operations, 332nd ALF, Randolph AFB, TX
4. Dec 2004–Feb 2006, C-17 Pilot, Chief of Safety, 14th AS, Charleston AFB, SC
6. Feb 2006–Dec 2007, C-17 Pilot, Ast Director of Operations, 437th OSS, Charleston AFB, SC
7. Jan 2008–Aug 2008, C-17 Pilot, Ast Director of Operations, 14th AS, Charleston AFB, SC
8. Sep 2008–Apr 2009, C-17 Pilot, Dep Director of Wing Staff, 437th AW, Charleston AFB, SC
9. Apr 2009–May 2011, European Country Director, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Pentagon, Arlington, VA
10. May 2011–Jun 2012, Student, Advanced Study of Air Mobility, JB McGuire Dix Lakehurst, NJ
11. Jul 2012–Feb 2016, IMA to the Director of Pentagon Press Operations, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
12. Feb 2016 – Jul 2017, Commander, 439th Operations Support Squadron, Westover ARB, MA
13. Jul 2017 – Jul 2018, Student, Naval War College, Newport, RI
14. Aug 2018 – Aug 2019, Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer to RI, Tyndall AFB, FL
15. Aug 2019 – Present, Strategic Advisor, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Pentagon, Arlington Virginia
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
- Jul 2012–Feb 2016, IMA to the Director of Pentagon Press Operations, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
- Jul 2017 – Jul 2018, Student, Naval War College, Newport, RI
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: Over 2,500
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-1, C-21A, C-17, C-5 A/B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Presidential Management Fellow (2014)
USAF Civilian Meritorious Service Medal (2014)
Presidential Volunteer Service Award, presented by the Student Veterans of America (2011)
Distinguished Graduate, C-17 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification (2004)
Top Third Graduate and Outstanding Contributor, Squadron Officer School (2003)
Air Force Association Award, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (1999)
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War On Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and one oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 28, 1998
First Lieutenant September 4, 2000
Captain September 4, 2002
Major June 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel August 15, 2013
Colonel October 1, 2019
(Current as of November 1, 2020)