Col. Daniel C. Werner is the commander of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and the 673d Air Base Wing, JBER, Alaska. The 673d Air Base Wing consists of four groups operating and maintaining the joint base for air sovereignty, combat training, force staging and throughput operations in support of worldwide contingencies. The installation hosts the headquarters for the U.S. Alaskan Command, Eleventh Air Force, 11th Airborne Division, and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. The 673d Air Base Wing comprises over 5,500 joint military and civilian personnel, supporting America’s Arctic Warriors and their families. The wing supports and enables two Air Force total-force wings, an Army brigade and 55 other major mission partners. In addition, the wing provides medical care to over 35,000 joint service members, dependents, VA patients and retirees throughout Alaska. The 673d Air Base Wing maintains $11.4B in infrastructure encompassing 79,000 acres, ensuring JBER remains America’s premier strategic power-projection platform.
Col. Werner received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. He has held various installation-level positions, including command of three squadrons. He also served on headquarters staff at the joint staff, major command, and field operating agency levels. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Florida. Prior to his current assignment, Werner was the chief, Civil Engineer Division, Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. There, he served as the command civil engineer for the Indonesia-Pacific region supporting 10 wings, three numbered air forces, and three joint bases consisting of 396 combat aircraft, 8,858 facilities, $42B in infrastructure, and 46,000 personnel serving principally in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal Basic Course, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2009 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Arts, Homeland Security, American Military University, Charles Town, W.Va.
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Master of Policy Management, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2021 Master of National Security and Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS CHRONOLOGY
1. August 2003 – September 2006, Roofing Engineer, Programmer, and Chief of Maintenance Engineering, 2d Civil Engineer Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (January 2005-July 2005, RED HORSE project engineer, 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
2. September 2006 – May 2007, Student, Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal, 366th Training Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
3. June 2007 – November 2009, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight Commander, 49th Civil Engineer Squadron, Holloman
AFB, N.M. (November 2007-May 2008, EOD Flight Commander, 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Sather AB,
Iraq and April 2009-October 2009, EOD Flight Commander, 755th Air Expeditionary Squadron, Kandahar, Afghanistan)
4. November 2009 – June 2011, Chief, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Branch, Directorate of Installations and Mission Support,
Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. (August 2010-February 2011, Director of Plans J-5, Combined Joint Task Force Troy, Camp Victory, Iraq)
5. June 2011 – June 2012, Military Construction Program Manager, Directorate of Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
6. June 2012 – June 2013, Programs Flight Commander, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
7. July 2013 – May 2015, Chief of Civil Engineer Officer Assignments, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
8. May 2015 – June 2016 Air Force Fellow, McConn Fellowship, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
9. July 2016 – July 2018, Commander, 19th Civil Engineer Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark. (October 2017 – April 2018, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
10. July 2018 – July 2020, Commander, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, MD
11. August 2020 – June 2021, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2021 – August 2022, Joint Staff Engineer, J-4, Logistics Directorate, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. August 2022 – May 2023, Chief, Mission Assurance Branch, J-3, Operations Directorate, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. May 2023 – July 2025, Deputy Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
15. July 2025 – July 2026, Command Civil Engineer, Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters
Pacific Air Forces Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
16. July 2026 – Present, Commander, 673d Air Base Wing and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2021 – August 2022, Joint Staff Engineer, J-4, Logistics Directorate, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2. August 2022 – May 2023, Chief, Mission Assurance Branch, J-3, Operations Directorate, the Joint Staff, Pentagon,
Washington, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 2003
First Lieutenant May 28, 2005
Captain May 28, 2007
Major June 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2016
Colonel September 1, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF JULY 2026)