Edwards AFB News

Brig. Gen. Brewer takes command of 412th TW

  • Published
  • By Jet Fabara
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Following the re-designation of the Air Force Flight Test Center to the Air Force Test Center and the transition of the 95th Air Base Wing to the 412th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel Command leadership, base leadership and Team Edwards were on hand to witness the final ceremony of the day in which the 412th Test Wing received its newest commander during a change of command ceremony in Hangar 1600 July 13, 2012.

With Brig. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., Air Force Test Center commander, presiding over the ceremony, Col. Evan C. Dertien officially passed command responsibilities back to the center commander who then handed the 412th TW guidon and command over to Brig. Gen. Michael Brewer.

As the 412th TW commander, he will lead a wing of 7,100 personnel in the developmental test and evaluation of F-35, F-22, F-16, B-1, B-2, B-52, C-17, C-130, KC-135, Global Hawk, joint Remotely Piloted Aircraft and emerging technologies.

The wing executes air vehicle, avionics and electronic warfare testing, logistics test and evaluation, operates the U. S. Air Force Test Pilot School and oversees $5.8 billion in test-unique assets for the Department of Defense.

As part of the 95th ABW transition to the 412th TW, Brewer will additionally serve as the installation commander responsible for operating the base and supporting more than 12,000 active duty, reserve, civil service, Marine, Army, NASA and defense contractors at Edwards. It also includes the infrastructure, communication systems, security, medical services, fire protection, transportation, supply, finance, contracting, legal services, personnel and 308,000 acres base in the middle of the Mojave Desert - the second largest base in the U. S. Air Force. His operations directly support the Air Force Test Center, Operations Test and Evaluation Center, Air Force Research Laboratory and many other organizations.

Brewer received his commission in 1986 following graduating, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University. After graduation, he attended pilot training at Sheppard AFB, Texas, with follow-on operational assignments in the F-111F and F-15E at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, where he served as an instructor and evaluator pilot. In 1996, Brewer completed U.S.A.F. Test Pilot School as a distinguished graduate.

Following TPS, he was assigned to the 445th Flight Test Squadron as an F-15 experimental test pilot. After completing Air Command and Staff College as a distinguished graduate, he served at the F/A-22 system program office as a test program manager. Brewer then commanded an experimental test squadron which was followed by attendance of Industrial College of the Armed Forces where he was a distinguished graduate. He also served as the Assistant for GPS & Navigation Warfare, Networks and Information Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense providing oversight of DOD positioning, navigation & timing systems. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Arnold AFB, Tenn.