Academy Welcomes New 306th FTG Commander (Photo) - 06/08/26
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Col. Paul J. Brehm assumed command of the 306th Flying Training Group from Col. Nancy E. Taylor during a change of command ceremony at Davis Field on the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, June 3, 2026.
The 306th FTG provides soaring, powered flight, jump, and overall Airmanship training to the Academy’s more than 4,000 cadets. The group runs the third-busiest airfield in the U.S. Air Force, with over 27,000 sorties and 22,000 jumps each year.
“Col. Taylor, you have been the amazing leader that the 306th needed,” said Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who presided over the ceremony. “Over the past three years you have led the 306th through significant transformation. Most recently, bringing the 306th back to USAFA.”
On April 1, under the guidance of Col. Taylor, a 2001 Academy graduate, the 306th FTG was realigned from the Air Education and Training Command to the Academy. The realignment returns the group to direct Academy oversight for the first time since 2004. With this move, the FTG became a major unit under the Academy headquarters, a move designed to strengthen the Academy’s Airmanship program and further integrate flying training with cadet development.
“What an incredible experience it has been to watch as we mold the next generation of our Air Force and Space Force leaders,” said Col. Taylor. “What we do (at the 306th) isn’t about the numbers; it is what we do with every individual flight and jump. It is about telling a cadet that they are going to control an aircraft by themselves. It is about the airmanship that we instill in the Air Force’s youngest instructor pilots.”
“Under Nancy’s leadership, airmanship was embedded into our most recent Validation exercises as well as our Culminating Exercises, promoting airmindedness into the entire cadet wing,” said Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind. “Nancy, your focus on standards and commitment to cadet airmanship has set a high standard and has set the pathway for the future of the 306th.”
Col. Taylor leaves the Academy to become the commander of the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
A 2004 graduate of the Academy, Col. Brehm’s prior assignment was as the Academy’s Division Chief for Future Operations, where he was responsible for the planning, coordination, and integration of operations and activities across the installation.
“Paul has already done incredible work in support of our Academy and the airmanship mission,” said Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind. “He brings an unmatched level of combat-tested leadership and operational experience to our Academy. … He understands not only where our cadets are today, but where they are going,” he added. “He knows exactly what our Air Force and Space Force need in tomorrow’s warriors and leaders.”
Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind instructed Col. Brehm to continue building on the 306th’s momentum, prioritize airmanship, maintain a laser focus on standards and safety, continue fostering deliberate leadership for cadets, and create an atmosphere where the demands of military training, academics, and competitive athletics are integrated in harmony.
“I look forward to working alongside you as we continue to graduate the best second lieutenants,” Col. Brehm said to the 306th FTG and Academy personnel in attendance at the ceremony.
“We are the first experience that many of our cadets will have with a professional military aviation organization,” said Col. Brehm. “Our task is to educate, train, and inspire these future officers to a lifetime of aviation service. We also have the opportunity to provide them with a solid foundation from which to succeed as air-minded leaders. Every flight, every jump, every engagement we have with cadets is a chance to introduce them into the culture of discipline, professionalism, and standards that underlies all Air Force aviation.”
