Chairman LaBranche, WGD, joined the faculty in Jul 2013, was assigned as Director of MAWS in Apr 2014, and served as Chairman of JMO from Jan 2015-Aug 2016. Operational tours: Commander, Carrier Air Wing 17, flying the F/A-18 C/E/F/G variants on the CVN-70. Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 31, flying F-14Ds on CVN-71 and CVN-74; Fighter Squadron 11, Flying F-14Ds on CVN-70 and F-14Bs onboard CVN 74; Attack Squadron 196, flying the A-6Es on CVN-70; and Attack Squadron 85, flying A-6Es on the CV-66. Prof LaBranche has 9 operational deployments to the Iraq/Afghanistan; has nearly 5,000 tactical flight hours and over 1,400 arrested landings; was an Instructor Pilot and is JSO Qualified.