HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Meet Brad Miller, the 583rd Missile Maintenance Squadron's director of operations. With a total of 24 years in uniform, including seven years on active duty and 17 years in the Air Force Reserve, Brad brings extensive experience to his role. He began his civil service career in June 1993.
Consisting of approximately 200-210 dedicated members, the Ogden Air Logistic Complex's 583rd MMXS is a distinctive squadron, with personnel based both at Hill and at various geographically separated units (GSUs) including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The squadron is responsible for depot-level maintenance of launch facilities and launch control centers for the ICBM Minuteman III. They also provide critical support for the warfighter, helping to complete challenging maintenance tasks.
Born and raised in the small Iowa town of Ida Grove, Brad describes himself as a “farm boy.” He said in Ida Grove, trust runs deep—everyone knows each other, doors are left unlocked, and keys are often left in cars. However, his childhood took a turn at age 14 when he returned home from school to find his family’s farm in foreclosure, marking a difficult time for farmers in the 1980s. The family relocated to Redding, California, a significant cultural shift for young Brad. Despite the changes, he returns to Iowa twice a year, to assist his childhood friend since kindergarten, with planting and harvesting crops, cherishing the memories tied to his farming roots.
“You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm off the boy. Farming is hard work—12 to 16 hours on a tractor or combine—but I love it,” he said.
A particularly sentimental piece of his past, his grandfather’s tractor, was gifted back to him exactly 30 years later by the couple who had purchased it years before. After restoring it, Brad proudly displays it at car shows and parades through The Great Basin Antique Machinery Club. He continues to have a touch of farm life now, raising horses, pigs, chicken and cattle on his five-acre property in Farr West.
Brad and his wife, Kristina, a teacher at Layton Christian Academy, have opened their home to numerous exchange students, children from various countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, and Brazil. They’ve hosted as many as 11 children at once, currently caring for five this school year. Many of these children have gone on to attend American universities. One child they hosted faced a cancer diagnosis but is now nearly cancer free after treatment at Primary Children’s Hospital.
“They perform miracles,” Brad said, in awe of the positive impact the hospital has on young lives.
Family is at the heart of Brad’s life. He loves attending his grandson's football games and cherishes moments with his loved ones.
“My family is my whole life,” he said, adding that he considers his coworkers at the squadron as an extended family. He is grateful for the strong team surrounding him throughout his career and the mutual support they share.
When asked about his guiding principles, Brad shares a couple of mottos: “The standard is the standard,” inspired by Coach Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Above all, Brad is driven by a commitment to supporting the warfighter.
“I bleed Air Force Blue, and I take pride in knowing we’re making our warfighter's jobs easier and keeping them safe,” he said. “That’s my greatest fulfillment—helping sustain deterrence and ensuring the warfighter can return home to their families safely.”