Colonel Kurt "Bevo" Anderson is Commander of the 136th Airlift Wing based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. He commands 1,100 personnel with eight assigned C-130J aircraft, ensuring rapid global mobility and combat-ready forces in support of Air Mobility Command’s global airlift requirements. Additionally, he aligns combat-ready forces to the Governor of Texas and the Texas Military Department to support domestic disaster response and homeland defense missions.
Col Anderson received his commission from the Academy of Military Science in 2002 after graduating Texas A&M University. Prior to his command, he served with the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, advancing from copilot to instructor pilot and certifying in the C-130H Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS). In this capacity, he flew critical aerial firefighting missions against wildland forest fires across the Western United States. In 2011, he transferred to his hometown unit, the 136th Airlift Wing, Texas Air National Guard, where he graduated from the USAF Weapons Instructor Course in 2012. His leadership spans multiple critical staff and command positions, including Commander of the 136th Operations Group, Commander of the 181st Airlift Squadron, 181st Airlift Squadron Director of Operations, 136th Airlift Wing Chief of Safety, and 136th Operations Group Standardization/Evaluation Pilot. His operational experience includes extensive combat deployments across Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, RESOLUTE SUPPORT, and SPARTAN SHIELD. Prior to his current position, the Colonel served as the 136th Airlift Wing Deputy Commander.
EDUCATION
2001 - Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
2008 - Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, AZ
2009 - Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, by correspondence
2012 - U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Little Rock Air Force Base, AK, by correspondence
2021 - Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, by correspondence
2023 - Air National Guard Commander’s Leadership Course, Joint Base Andrews, MD
2024 - Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, Fort Carson, CO
2024 - Dual-Status Commander Course, United States Northern Command, Peterson Space Force Base, CO
2024 - Leadership in Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
ASSIGNMENTS
- Jan 2003-Feb 2004, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Ok
- Mar 2004-Aug 2004, Student, C-130 Pilot Initial Qualification Course, Little Rock AFB, AR
- Aug 2004-Oct 2007, C-130H Pilot, 187th Airlift Squadron, Cheyenne, WY (Jan 2005-May 2005, Oct 2005-Dec 2005, C-130H Pilot, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait; Mar 2006-Apr 2006, C-130H Pilot, 38th AS(P) Delta, Ramstein AFB, Germany; Aug 2006-Sep 2006, C-130H Pilot, Modular Aircraft Fire Fighting System, Expeditionary Operations Group, Klamath Falls, OR; May 2007-Jun 2007, C-130H Pilot, 455 AEW, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
- Oct 2007-Aug 2009, C-130H Aircraft Commander and Chief of Current Operations, 153rd Operations Group, Cheyenne, WY (Feb 2009-Apr 2009, C-130H Aircraft Commander, 455 AEW, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
- Aug 2009-Feb 2011, C-130H Instructor Pilot, 153rd Operations Group, Cheyenne, WY (Sept 2010-Nov 2010, Assistant Chief of Tactics, 455 AEW, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
- Feb 2011-Dec 2012, C-130H Instructor Pilot, 181st Airlift Squadron, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB), Fort Worth, TX (Mar 2011-Jun 2011, C-130H Aircraft Commander, 455 AEW, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
- Jun 2012-Dec 2012, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Little Rock AFB, AR
- Dec 2012-Feb 2015, C-130H Weapons Officer, 136th Airlift Wing, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
- Sep 2015-Mar 2017, Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, 136th Operations Group, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX (Oct 2015-Jan 2016, Chief of Tactics, 386 AEW, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
- Sept 2017-Oct 2019, Chief of Safety, 136th Airlift Wing, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
- Oct 2019-Jul 2022, Director of Operations, 181st Airlift Squadron, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX (Oct 2020-Jan 2021, Commander, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
- Jul 2022-Apr 2024, Commander, 181st Airlift Squadron, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
- Aug 2023-Apr 2024, Commander, 136th Operations Group, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
- Apr 2024-May 2026, Deputy Commander, 136th Airlift Wing, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
- May 2026-Present, Commander, 136th Airlift Wing, NAS JRB, Fort Worth, TX
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,700+ (620 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: C-130J-30, C-130H3, C-130H2.5, C-130H2, C-130E, T-1A, and T-37B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Combat Action Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device and oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with nine oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Humanitarianism Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two hourglass devices and five “M” devices
NATO Medal
Texas Combat Service Medal
Wyoming National Guard Service Ribbon
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Lifetime member, Airlift / Tanker Association
Lifetime member, Military Officers Association of America
Lifetime member, National Guard Association of the United States
Lifetime member, National Guard Association of Texas
Active member, 136th Airlift Wing Silver Eagles
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant September 13, 2002
First Lieutenant September 13, 2004
Captain September 13, 2006
Major August 21, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2018
Colonel September 1, 2023
(Current as of July 2026)