Lt Col Nicholas Brougham is the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 520 at Cornell University. As Commander, Lt Col Brougham also serves as the Department Chair and the Professor of Aerospace Studies. He is responsible for the four-year education and training of United States Air Force and Space Force cadets.
Lt Col Brougham commissioned in 2008 through Air Force Officer Training School after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University. He has since earned two post graduate degrees. He is a Master Navigator with more than 3,000 hours in the C-130, MC-130, and AC-130 aircraft. Prior to his current position, Lt Col Brougham was the Commander’s Action Group Director at Allied Special Operations Forces Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium.
EDUCATION
2006 Bachelor of Science, Management Information Systems, Pennsylvania State University, PA
2014 Master of Science, Management of Integrated Logistics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FL
2014 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2021 Master of Operational Studies, Military Operational Art/Science, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
2021 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2008 – October 2009, Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, 562d Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX
2. October 2009 – December 2010, Student, MC-130W Navigator Training, 551st Special Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
3. December 2010 – November 2013, Scheduling Officer, Standardization & Evaluation Liaison Officer, and Assistant Flight Commander, 73d Special Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
4. November 2013 – May 2016, Flight Commander and Program Manager, 551st Special Operations Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM
5. May 2016 – August 2017, Wing Executive Officer, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, NM
6. August 2017 – September 2019, Plans & Programs Chief and Assistant Operations Officer, 417th Flight Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL
7. September 2019 – September 2020, Group Chief of Training, 492d Special Operations Training Group, Hurlburt Field, FL
8. September 2020 – July 2021, Student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
9. July 2021 – June 2024, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Allied Special Operations Forces Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium
10. June 2024 – Present, Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Detachment 520, Cornell University, NY
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
July 2021 – June 2024, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Allied Special Operations Forces Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium, as a Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: C-130, MC-130, and AC-130
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 18, 2008
First Lieutenant January 18, 2010
Captain January 18, 2012
Major October 1, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2022
(Current as of July 2024)