Science and engineering...perfect for new commander Published July 17, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Ben Mota 434 ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Inc., -- Grissom's top military civil engineer swaps Airmen's Battle Dress uniforms for a lab coat when he leaves the base. Maj. Paul Brenner, the new 434th Civil Engineer Squadron commander is a a high performance computing scientist from the University of Notre Dame. Major Brenner was an engineering, mobility and training officer for the 445th Air Wing Civil Engineering Squadron at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. After serving the Air Force Reserve for eleven years he was selected to join Grissom with plans to use his technical, teaching and leadership skills to lead the 434th CES Airmen. "I always wanted to be a commander and a lead Airmen, and I saw this as an opportunity to lead some of the country's best," he said. In 2007 he received his doctorate in computer science and engineering at Notre Dame, the same location where he received his bachelor's of science and engineering degree in 2000. In addition, he holds a master's degree in materials science and engineering from Ohio State University. Major Brenner recently returned from a nine month mobilization centered by a six month deployment to Afghanistan. The education, training and experience received from that deployment will greatly help his ability to enhance the 434th CES, he said. "One of my primary goals is to increase the level of readiness and number of quality Airmen in the unit," he said. The commander has spent a lot of time preparing for the administrative portion of his new job but also took an opportunity during a recent unit training assembly to get to know some of his new airmen better. He has dedicated time, early in his tenure, to meet and mentor the Airmen of the 434th CES. . "I look forward to meeting all of the members of the unit," said the major with a smile on his face. "From what I have seen so far it appears to be a tight family here," he added.
