Lieutenant Colonel Dana “Pete” Nielsen is the Commander, AFROTC Detachment 780, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota.  He is responsible for the recruiting, training, motivating, and educating Air Force officer candidates.  Colonel Nielsen is the senior Air Force officer on campus with dual responsibilities as detachment commander and Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Studies with rank of full professor.  He manages a $394K annual budget, funding scholarship, subsistence, recruiting, and operations.  Colonel Nielsen determines who is accepted, trained, and ultimately commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Lieutenant Colonel Nielsen was commissioned through AFROTC in 1989.  Lieutenant Colonel Nielsen is a graduate of Circle High School, Circle Mont. 1985.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1989 from Moorhead State University, Minnesota and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of South Dakota in 1996.  He has served as an EC-135 and KC-135 instructor and evaluator navigator in several wings including the formal schoolhouse for KC-135 training.  His operation background consists of numerous deployments taking him to all theatres of the world.  Colonel Nielsen also served as an Instructor of Political Science and a wing executive officer at the United States Air Force Academy.  Most recently, he served as the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) Commander's Liaison Officer to the United States Transportation Command.

EDUCATION:
 
1989 Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, Moorhead State University

1996 Master of Arts degree in Political Science, University of South Dakota

1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base

2001 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)

2005 Air War College (correspondence)

ASSIGNMENTS:

1.  February 1990 – June 1991, navigator student, 452d Flying Training Squadron, Mather Air Force Base, California

2.  June 1991 - September 1991, navigator, KC-135 Combat Crew Training School, Castle Air Force Base, California

3.  October 1991 - May 1994, EC/KC 135 navigator, 4th Airborne Command & Control Squadron/28th Air Refueling Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota

4.  June 1994 - May 1998, KC-135 instructor navigator, 906th Air Refueling Squadron, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota

5.  June 1998 - September 1999, Combat Crew Training School instructor/evaluator navigator and flight commander, 55th Air Refueling Squadrons, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma

6.  October 1999 - May 2001, Central Flight Instructor Course instructor navigator and executive officer, 54th Air Refueling Squadron, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma

7.  June 2001 - May 2003, Instructor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, USAF Academy, Colorado

8.  June 2003 - May 2004, Wing Executive Officer, HQ 10th Air Base Wing, USAF Academy, Colorado

9.  June 2004 - January 200t, Chief, Americas Exercise Branch, TACC, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

10.  February 2005 - June 2007, TACC Commander's liaison Officer to the United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

11.  July 2007 – present, Commander, AFROTC Detachment 780, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Rating:             Master Navigator

Flight Hours:    2,800+

Aircraft:             EC-135 A/G/L, KC-135 A/R/T

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: 

Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant    Oct 10, 1989 (Commissioned via AFROTC)
First Lieutenant          Oct 10, 1991
Captain                       Oct 10, 1993
Major                           Feb 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel    Jan 1, 2006