Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Ryan "Buttons" Brack
Cmdr. Ryan J. Brack is a native of Salina, Kansas. As a “Jayhawk”, he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas and a Reserve Officer Training Corps commission in 2007. In 2009, he was designated a Naval Aviator following training at VT-6 and HT-18 in Milton, FL. He subsequently earned an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Cmdr. Brack flew the SH-60B Seahawk, completing four 7th Fleet deployments while assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 51, a Forward Deployed Naval Force based in Atsugi, Japan. During his tour as a “Warlord” from March 2010 to April 2013, he served aboard the USS McCampbell (DDG-85), the USS Shiloh (CG-67), the USS Ford (FFG-54), and the USS Lassen (DDG-82), while supporting George Washington and Carl Vinson Strike Groups.
In 2013, Brack transitioned to the MH-60R and became an instructor pilot at the Fleet Replacement Squadron (HSM-41) in San Diego. He then attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) (Class 147) in Patuxent River, MD. His follow-on test tour was with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21. As a project officer at HX-21, Brack took part in multiple dynamic interface (wind envelope) tests for both the U.S. and Royal Australian Navies.
Brack returned to the Fleet as a department head at HSM-37 in Kaneohe, HI from April 2018 to January 2021 where he served as a detachment Officer-In-Charge in support of 3rd Fleet Exercises on the USS Halsey (DDG-97). As OIC, he also deployed to 7th Fleet’s AOR on the USS Preble (DDG-88), operating with the John C. Stennis Strike Group. Cmdr. Brack finished his tour in Hawaii as the “Easyrider” operations officer. His next assignment took him back to USNTPS from January 2021 to November 2022, completing his second TPS tour as the Senior Rotary-Wing Instructor.
Cmdr. Brack is authorized to wear the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards) and multiple joint and unit awards. He has flown 33 different fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, while accumulating over 2,700 flight hours. He is currently assigned as the Commanding Officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapons School, Atlantic in Jacksonville, FL.