Colonel BENJAMIN W. COUCHMAN

Col Couchman began his military career after graduating and commissioning from the United States Air Force Academy in 2002. He served as an F-16 evaluator and instructor pilot on active duty, stationed with the 555^th FS at Aviano AB for two assignments and the 80^th FS at Kunsan AB for one. Col Couchman also served with the 17^th STS as a jump ALO and JTAC attached to the 75^th Ranger Regiment. He joined the COANG in 2016 and served as Range Control Officer and Range Commander at Airburst Range. Following this he took over as the 140^th Operations Support Squadron Director of Operations for a brief period before serving as 140^th Chief of Wing Plans and Chief of Staff. After filling the roles on Wing Staff, Col Couchman became the 120^th Fighter Squadron Commander for a year before taking over the 140^th Operations Group. He has over 100 HALO and HAHO jumps and deployed multiple times in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan as a strike force and reconnaissance JTAC. He is also a command pilot with more than 2700 hours in the F-16C, having flown over 800 combat hours in Operations Resolute Support and Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan and Operation Inherent Resolve out of Saudi Arabia.