Col. Britt C. Vanshur
Chief of the Joint Staff – JFHQ-ID
Colonel Britt C. Vanshur is the Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Idaho National Guard. He serves as the full time principal advisor to the Adjutant General, the Director of the Joint Staff and the Idaho Office of Emergency Management on a broad range of Joint military and domestic operations matters concerning the Department of Defense, the Departments of the Air and Army National Guard, and the Idaho Military Division; Additionally, he directs the State Partnership Program with the Kingdom of Cambodia, 101st WMD/Civil Support Team and Idaho National Guard Counter Drug operations.
Colonel Vanshur entered the Air National Guard in February 1989 and served as an enlisted member for eight years in the 124th Maintenance Squadron and the 124th Communications Flight of the Idaho Air National Guard. He was commissioned in 1997 from the Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, TN and has served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Executive Officer, Cyber Officer, Logistics Officer and Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team Officer. He also served as a four-time State Partnership Program instructor to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. Previously, as the Director of Staff, Idaho Air National Guard, Boise, Idaho, he served as the principal advisor to the Adjutant General and/or Assistant Adjutant, Air on a broad range of matters concerning the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard.
He has deployed in support of OPERATIONS NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL and SPARTAN SHIELD.
EDUCATION:
1995 Community College of the Air Force, Associates of Applied Science, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
1996 Boise State University, Bachelor of Applied Science, Boise, Idaho
1998 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
1999 Communications and Information Officers School, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
2006 Squadron Officer’s School, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2008 Civil Support Skills Course, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
2010 Counter Nuclear Proliferation Officers Course, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Non-Residence
2015 The Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Master of National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
2016 Air Force Incident Management Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2018 Joint Task Force Commander’s Course, Peterson AFB, CO
2018 Commander’s Development Course, Andrews AFB, MD
2018 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
2018 Leadership in Homeland Security, JFK School of Government, Harvard University, MA
2019 Dual Status Commander’s Course, Peterson AFB, CO
2019 Homeland Protection Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. February 1989 – December 1992, Electro Optical Photo Sensors Specialist – RF-4C, 124th CAMS, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
2. December 1992 – March 1996, Fire Control Radar mechanic – F-4G, 124th Maintenance Group, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
3. March 1996 – August 1997, Telecommunications Specialist, 124th Communications Flight, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
4. August 1997 — September 1999, A-10, Aircraft Generation Officer, 124th AGS, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho (Traditional)
5. January 1998 – September 1999,124th Mission Support Group Executive Officer, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho (Full-time)
6. September 1999 – November 2000, Commander, 124th Communications Flight, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
7. November 2000 – April 2002, A-10/C-130 Maintenance Officer, 124th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
8. April 2002 – July 2008, Commander, 124th Communications Flight, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
9. July 2008 – September 2010, Deputy Commander, 101st Civil Support Team, Gowen Field, Boise Idaho
10. September 2010 – November 2012, Commander, 101st Civil Support Team, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
11. December 2012 – July 2014, Commander, 212th Command and Control Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
12. July 2014 – June 2015, Student, The Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington D.C.
13. June 2015 – September 2015, Logistics Operations Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters – Idaho, Gowen Field, Boise, ID
14. September 2015 – September 2017, Deputy Commander, 124th Mission Support Group, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
15. September 2017 – August 2019, Director of Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters – Idaho Air National Guard
16. August 2019 – Present, Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters – Idaho National Guard
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with 6 oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with valor device and 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Short
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border and 2 oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Longevity Service with 5 oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 5 M devices and gold hourglass
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (rifle)
Air and Space Training Ribbon with bronze cluster
NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS:
National Guard Association of the United States, Life Member
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Life Member
Boise State University Alumni Association, Life Member
The Association of The Eisenhower School, Life Member
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant September 1997
First Lieutenant September 1999
Captain October 2001
Major March 2006
Lt Col September 2012
Colonel September 2017
(Current as of April 2023)