LIEUTENANT COLONEL BRANDON W. HUGHES

Lieutenant Colonel Brandon W. Hughes is the commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 775 at the University of South Carolina. He leads a 5-member staff and over 80 cadets through all aspects of a four-year academic program culminating in the commissioning of new Air Force Second Lieutenants.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was commissioned in 2007 through Officer Training School at Maxwell, AL. He completed his bachelor’s degree in biology with a human anatomy focus from Baylor University in 2004. He attained a master’s degree in international relations from Troy University in 2012.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is a master combat systems officer with more than 3,100 hours in Special Operations aircraft including over 1,700 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, ENDURING FREEDOM, and FREEDOM SENTINEL. He was hand-selected as initial cadre for the development and initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the AC- 130J Ghostrider.

EDUCATION

2004 Bachelor of science degree in Biology, Baylor University, TX
2012 Master’s degree in International Relations, Troy University, AL.
2014 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Air Command and Staff College via correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Air War College via correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. January 2007 – April 2008, Student, Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
2. April 2008 – July 2012, AC-130U Electronic Warfare Officer, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
3. July 2012 – July 2015, AC-130U Instructor Fire Control Officer, Flight Commander, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
4. July 2015 – September 2017, AC-130J Instructor Combat Systems Officer, 1st Special Operations Group, Detachment 2, Hurlburt Field, FL
5. September 2017 – August 2019, Chief of AC-130J Requirements and AC-130J Evaluator Combat Systems Officer, Air Force Special Operations Command A-5, Hurlburt Field, FL
6. August 2019 – July 2020, AC-130J Evaluator Combat Systems Officer at 1st Special Operations Group Standardization and Evaluations, Hurlbut Field, FL
7. July 2020 – June 2023, Chief, 612th Air Operations Center Standardization and Evaluation, and Director of Staff, 612th Air Operations Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
8. June 2023 – Present, Commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 775. University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Master Combat Systems Officer
Flight hours: More than 3,100 including more than 1,700 combat hours
Aircraft flown: AC-130U, AC-130J, MC-130J

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with “C” device and fifteen oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant Jan. 26, 2007
First Lieutenant Jan. 26, 2009
Captain Jan. 26, 2011
Major Jan. 1, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel Jun. 1, 2022

(Current as of April 2025)