Colonel Vance Brunner
Colonel Vance Brunner was raised in Kailua, Hawaii, and enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard in April 1997 as a Ground Surveillance Systems Operator. Upon graduating in 2002 from the University of Hawaii, he received an active duty commission into the Chemical Corps. After completing the Officer Basic Course at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, he was assigned to the 1-319th Field Artillery Regiment at Ft. Bragg, NC and served as the BN Chemical Officer. In August 2003 he deployed to Iraq in support of OIF where he served as the BN Battle Captain. Upon returning in February 2004, he was assigned to the 21st Chemical Company where he served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer. In May 2005 he deployed to Afghanistan in support of OEF, where he served as the detention facility Officer In Charge (OIC) in the province of Khost. After returning from Afghanistan, COL Brunner attended the Chemical Officer Advanced Course in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. In May 2006, he was assigned to110th CBRN BN Ft. Lewis, as a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and High Yield Explosive Response Team (CRT) leader, where he led his team through two National Level Exercises. In December 2008, he was assigned to the 23d CBRN BN where he commanded the 62d Chemical Company. In January 2010, he deployed the Company to Kuwait in support of both OIF and OEF. Upon returning in December 2010, COL Brunner was selected for the U.S. Army Command & General Staff School, Ft. Leavenworth, KS. After graduating, he was assigned as Chief of the Officer Training Department, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO where he oversaw the warrant, basic and advanced Officer courses. In June 2014, he was assigned as the Operations and Executive Officer for the 22d CBRN BN, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD where he re-stationed the BN HQ to their new location in Ft. Bliss, TX. In July 2016, COL Brunner was assigned to the Counter-Weapons of Mass Destruction Combined Joint Interagency Coordination Group-Korea were he served as the Plans OIC. In June 2019, he returned from Korea and took command of the Headquarters Battalion U.S. Army, the largest BN in the U.S. Army with command oversight of 8,500 Soldiers in the National Capital Region. In 2021, he was selected for Senior Service College as a fellow and attended the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, CA. Following SSC, he was assigned as the 20th CBRNE CMD as the Operations Officer (G3). On 27 June 2024 COL Brunner will assume command of, U.S. Army Environmental Command Fort Sam Houston, Texas