Col. Benjamin R. Harrison is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Air Force Reserve Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As the Mobilization Assistant, he assists with the planning and programming for a 70,000 personnel force and the flying hours for 17 types of aircraft in combat air forces; mobility air forces; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; tankers, training, weather reconnaissance and special operations. Plans, Programs and Requirements analyze a $6.9 billion-per-year program that recommends and presents options to senior leaders and is the Air Force Reserve conduit for coordinating change with the Chief of the Air Force Reserve to meet the needs of the Air Force.
Col. Harrison entered the Air Force in May 1998 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. He completed pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas, and was assigned to fly the F-16C Fighting Falcon. He transitioned from Active Duty to the Air Force Reserve in 2008. Col. Harrison is a command pilot with more than 2,400 combined hours in the F-16C Fighting Falcon and F- 35A Lightning II.
Col. Harrison has flown across multiple areas of operation on combat and security deployments. He has also served in a
variety of leadership positions from the squadron, group, wing and numbered Air Force to the HQ Air Force levels. Additionally, he has served in various military status to include Active Duty, individual mobilization augmentee, active guard Reserve, and traditional Reservist. Prior to his current position, the colonel served as 301st Fighter Wing Commander, U.S. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Master of Business Administration, Touro University International, Cypress, Calif.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2012 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort Lesley McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. May 1998–December 1999, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. January 2000–April 2000, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. May 2000–January 2001, Student, F-16 Flying Training Unit, 63d Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. February 2001–January 2002, Electronic Combat Pilot, 4 FS, Hill AFB, Utah
5. February 2002–September 2004, Chief of Scheduling, 466 FS, Hill AFB, Utah
6. October 2004–December 2007, Flight Commander, 310 FS and 56th Operations Support Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
7. January 2008–June 2010, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 419th Operations Group, Hill AFB, Utah
8. July 2010–December 2014, Chief of Total Force Wing Weapons and F-35 Program Integration, 419th Operations Support Flight, Hill AFB, Utah
9. January 2015–May 2015, Director of Operations, 419 OG Detachment 1, Hill AFB, Utah
10. June 2015–July 2016, Operations and Training Branch Chief, F-35 Integration Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. August 2016–May 2018, Deputy Commander, 419 OG, Hill AFB, Utah
12. June 2018–July 2020, Commander, 466 FS, Hill AFB, Utah
13. August 2020–May 2021, Director of Commander’s Action Group, 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
14. June 2021–October 2022, Commander, 301st Fighter Wing Operations Group, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas
15. November 2022-May 2025, Commander, 301st Fighter Wing, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas
16. June 2025-present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Air Force Reserve Plans, Programs, and Requirements, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 2,600 Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, F-16, F-35
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion Of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint
Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1998
First Lieutenant May 27, 2000
Captain May 27, 2002
Major Jan. 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 2015
Colonel Aug. 1, 2020
(Current as of June 2025)