COLONEL BRADLEY M. CRITES
Col. Bradley M. "Critter" Crites is the Commander of the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS).
AFAMS is the lead agent for centralized management of Air Force cross-functional and shared Live, Virtual and Constructive Operational Training (LVC-OT) foundational capabilities, and resources supporting the Air Force Service Core Functions. As commander, Colonel Crites is responsible for overseeing Air Force initiatives for Enterprise solutions that will help build an efficient foundation to achieve Readiness Thru LVC, and allow warfighters to maximize performance and decision making.
Colonel Crites was commissioned through Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1991, following graduation from the University of California Irvine. During his career, he was commander of the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and served four times as a deployed squadron commander of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. His previous assignments include: Chief of Officer Development Branch, Air Combat Command Manpower & Personnel, Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Chief of EC-130H Formal Training and Assistant Director of Operations, 755th Operations Support Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; Wing Air Operations Officer and AC-130U Weapons and Tactics Officer, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; and Missile Maintenance Officer with Minuteman III ICBMs at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. He also served with the Army as part of Combined Joint Task Force Paladin and Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Before assuming his current position, he served as Deputy Director of Operations, 12th Air Force, Air Force Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. He shared responsibility for overseeing operations for active duty wings, as well as Guard and Reserve flying units; planning and executing counter drug and ISR operations and exercise efforts throughout the 31 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean; and overseeing USSOUTHCOM's radar architecture, medical operations and exercises. He is a command pilot with combat experience in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Afghanistan.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, University of California at Irvine
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (In-Residence)
2000 Master of Science (w/ distinction), Aviation Operations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (Correspondence)
2009 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (Correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
- May 1992 - November 1995, Missile Electrical Flight Commander, 91st Maintenance Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
- November 1995 - June 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
- June 1996 - March 1997, Student, Joint Flying Training, Training Squadron 31 (VT-31), Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
- March 1997 - January 2001, Weapons & Tactics Officer, AC-130U Aircraft Commander, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
- January 2001 - July 2002, Wing Air Operations Officer, AC-130U Aircraft Commander, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
- July 2002 - March 2006, Chief of Formal Training and Assistant Director of Operations, EC 130H FTU Instructor Pilot, 755th Operations Support Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
- March 2006 - June 2008, Chief of Officer Development Branch, Manpower & Personnel Directorate (A1), Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
- June 2008 - June 2009, Director of Operations, 755th Operations Support Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
- June 2009 - June 2011, Director of Operations, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
- June 2011 - July 2013, Commander, 43d Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
- July 2013 - June 2014, Deputy Director of Operations, 12th AF (AFSOUTH), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
- June 2014 - Present, Commander, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS), Orlando, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3000 hours, over 700 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: AC-130U, EC-130H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with five oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan 1992
First Lieutenant Jan 1994
Captain Jan 1996
Major Oct 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Oct 2007
Colonel Nov 2013
(Current as of June 2014)