Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Brown is the

Commander, 318th Recruiting Squadron,

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. As the commander, he

leads a highly skilled team of 79 recruiters and support

personnel tasked with inspiring, engaging, and recruiting

health professions and line officers from a 1.2 million

square mile area of responsibility encompassing 21

Northeastern states, the District of Columbia, and

Europe.

Lt Col Brown received his commission in 2009 through

ROTC at Norwich University. As an Intelligence Officer,

he has served in various analysis and leadership roles

within the career field. He has also served as permanent

party at the US Air Force Academy. Prior to Command

tour, Lt Col Brown was the Chief of the East Europe

Branch, International Affairs Division at US Air Forces

Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. 

Rochelle Hemingway is a retired U.S. Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant, CEO and Founder of SLAY To Success®️, and a transformational speaker dedicated to helping leaders elevate their visibility, influence, and impact. During her 30-year Air Force career, she served as a senior enlisted advisor, mentoring and advocating for thousands of Airmen while helping commanders lead through complex challenges and organizational change. Today, Rochelle combines the leadership lessons she learned as a Command Chief with her expertise in executive presence, personal branding, and leadership development. Through SLAY To Success®, she empowers professionals to lead with confidence, authenticity, and purpose while building a legacy that extends far beyond their titles.

Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Martha Dunning served as the Chief Enlisted Manager of Air, Space and Information Operations A3 Directorate for First Air Force Air Forces Northern, Air Forces Space, Tyndall AFB, FL upon her retirement in May 2026. She was the lead Functional Area Manager for all Battle Manager Operators in the Continental North American Aerospace Defense Command Region Enterprise. Chief Dunning entered the Air Force in June of 2001 and was assigned as a Battle Management Operator (BMO) at the 337 Air Control Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base FL where she helped build the next generation of battle managers for the United States and partner nations. 

CMSgt Patrick Cone is the Senior Enlisted Leader, 372d Recruiting

Group, Riverdale, Utah. He is the primary senior enlisted

advisor to the commander for operation effectiveness,

readiness, and professional development. He also manages

and directs resource activities; interprets and enforces

policies and applicable directives to meet mission

requirements. Additionally, he oversees and advises on the

health, morale, welfare, and qualify of life for all assigned

personnel within the geographically separated unit, which

includes eight Enlisted Accessions Recruiting Squadrons and

one Officer Accessions Recruiting Squadron spanning 314

recruiting offices, 24 states and the Pacific Rim,

encompassing over 4.1 million square miles.

Darrius T. Smith, widely known by his nickname “Smitty,” is a military veteran, visionary leader, and the architect of the revolutionary ST4Y READY Blueprint for authentic leadership.

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Darrius forged a distinguished twenty-five-year career in the United States Air Force.

Smitty’s leadership style is rooted in purpose-driven leadership and a growth mindset. His “win from within” mantra inspires individuals and teams to maximize their performance. His ultimate passion is guiding individuals to drop the debilitating mask of perfection and to lead with radical authenticity.

Lt Col Gilberto “Coach” Perez is a senior cyber and technology leader with 19 years of experience driving U.S. Air Force IT enterprise operations, digital transformation, and cyber workforce development. As Deputy Commander of the 690th Cyberspace Operations Group, he helps lead 1,900 personnel delivering secure global connectivity to hundreds of thousands of users across more than 180 countries. Over his career, he has served as a squadron commander twice, Presidential Communications Officer supporting two White House Administrations, and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Lt Col Perez is passionate about developing people and building high-performance teams to achieve meaningful results. He holds degrees from the U.S. Air Force Academy, the University of Tampa, Air University, and Army University, and is a doctoral student in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California. Upon retiring from active duty in July 2026, he will continue developing the next generation of leaders as a non-profit board member, author, speaker, and cross-sector collaborator.

Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Bryan Tuman grew up in southern Minnesota and entered the Air Force in the spring of 1993. Upon graduation from Basic Training, he attended the Air Force Medical Service School at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Chief Tuman’s contributions across the Air Force include assignments as a Professional Military Education Instructor, First Sergeant, and Command Chief Master Sergeant.

Joe Bogdan is a leadership educator, speaker, and lifelong student of self-mastery. He serves as Chief Learning Officer for Connecting Heads to Hearts (C2H), helping organizations develop leaders who align what they know in their heads with how they show up from their hearts. He also works as a Strategic HR Business Partner for a Fortune 200 company, where he supports senior leaders and organizations in building strong cultures and high-performing teams.

Joe spent more than two decades serving in the United States Air Force, where he led teams across multiple career fields and developed a deep appreciation for the responsibility leaders carry. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to helping people grow into the leaders they are capable of becoming, not just in title, but in character.

Joe wrote Better Has No Finish Line: Waypoints on the Lifelong Pursuit of Self Mastery and Leadership to challenge the idea that growth has a finish line. Drawing on lessons from military service, leadership development, and personal reflection, the book offers practical waypoints for anyone committed to becoming better in life and leadership.

Chief Dan Hall returns as RETIRED Chief Dan Hall! Recently retired Chief Hall shares his thoughts on the transition process that all Chiefs eventually go through and how he handled, and is handling, it. 

Chief (Retired) Amber Houghton returns to share thoughts and experiences about another of her passions, Seek Help! One thing Chiefs or other senior leaders don't do very well is take care of themselves as they know they should. They're too busy taking care of others. But what happens when you can't give any more? Seek help! We don't, but we should!