Benjamin Russo

Experience

• 

  United States Air Force

  Aug 2000 - Aug 2003

  Instructor Pilot, T-38A/C, Unit Standardization and Evaluation Monitor, Scheduler, Life Support Offi

  Instructed and evaluated US and international students. Monitored flight instructors. Weekly scheduler for student and instructor sorties and currencies.

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  United States Air Force

  Jul 2004 - Jul 2005

  Chief of Programming, F-16 Block 40 Pilot

  Managed squadron flying hour program. Coordinated with outside agencies for air refueling, bombing ranges, additional flying assets for dissimilar training. Scheduled squadron’s weekly training.

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  United States Air Force

  Oct 2005 - Aug 2006

  Squadron Flight Safety Officer, Assist Flight CC F-16 Block 50 Pilot

  Monitored and informed squadron commander of flight safety issues. Assisted wing safety when required. Chief of Safety-US Forces at Maple Flag (Canada) 2006. F-15C safety investigator in Chile, April 2006.

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  United States Air Force

  Jan 2007 - May 2008

  Monitored and informed wing commander/Operation Iraqi Freedom pilots (USAF/USA/USMC) of current flight safety issues throughout Iraq. Authored mishap reports, assisted with policy change. Monitored and informed wing commander/base pilots of current flight safety issues on base and in the Air Force. Liaison between base and community for Mid-Air Collision Avoidance program. Assist Supervisor of Flying program. Acting Chief of Safety for the wing. Ensured the safety of F-16 operations and base personnel during local and deployed operations. Supervised all flight, ground, and weapons safety.

  • Wing Chief of Flight Safety, F-16 Block 50 Pilot

    Jan 2008 - May 2008

  • Wing Chief of Flight Safety, F-16 Block 50 Pilot

    Sept 2006 - Dec 2007

  • Interim Chief of Safety, F-16 Block 50 Pilot

    Jan 2007 - Jun 2007
• 

  United States Air Force

  Jul 2008 - Aug 2009

  Deputy Chief Strategy Plans

  Assisted with Pacific operational war plan/steady state rewrites. Lead operational planning teams for real world crisis management.

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  United States Air Force

  May 2010 - Sept 2011

  Planned/synchronized air, space, information operation attacks for real world operational war plans. Lead 13th Air Force action officer in Joint Task Force targeting playbooks. Executive agent to joint task force for kinetic/non-kinetic/lethal/non-lethal targeting effects. Interpreted operational guidance into desired effects. Lead 13th Air Force action officer in JTF integrated tasking order. Lead multi-service team in synching operations, intel, communications to execute personnel recovery operations throughout CENTCOM. Lead PR exercise planner. Advised director on current operations and recommendations.

  • Chief Master Air Attack Plans Team

    Sept 2010 - Sept 2011

  • Chief Targeting Effects Team

    Sept 2009 - Nov 2010

  • USCENTCOM Joint Personnel Recovery Watch Supervisor

    May 2010 - Sept 2010
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  United States Air Force

  Apr 2012 - Nov 2012

  Flight Commander, Pilot Instructor Training, T-38C

  Charged with guiding/mentoring student instructor pilots, as well as flight doctors, test pilots, and pilots in airframe transitions through multiple syllabi in USAF T-38 programs.

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  USAF

  Nov 2012 - Mar 2014

  T-38C PlT Evaluator Pilot/BBD-700 Instructor Pilot

  Deployed as E-11A (BBD-700) Instructor Pilot and the Chief of Tactics at Kandahar Airbase. Responsible for training new E-11A pilots on operations within the Afghanistan Area of Operations, as well as educating additional military forces on E-11A capabilities. Upon returning to Randolph, I was appointed the Chief of Standards and Evaluation Flight, where I'm responsible for the quality of T-38C instructor pilots that the USAF produces for the undergraduate pilot training bases.

• 

  American Airlines

  Mar 2014 - now

  First Officer