Established on 02.10.2021 by Capt. Dennis A. and Carol J. Pukall
Colonel Pukall received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1991 after receiving a mathematics degree from Concordia College. He is a Master Meteorologist, Foreign Affairs Officer for the Western Hemisphere, and speaks both Italian and Spanish. He has commanded the 21st Operational Weather Squadron in Germany, the 31st Mission Support Group in Italy and the 557th Weather Wing headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Colonel Pukall has also completed multiple joint assignments at United States Southern Command and served as the Air Force Attaché in the US Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. After earning his master’s degree, Colonel Pukall was assigned to the Air Force Research Laboratory where he was involved with the atmospheric correction of hyperspectral data and was the co-author on multiple scientific publications. He has deployed to the Middle East and provided support to multiple real-world operations while forward-based in Europe.
EDUCATION:
- 1991 Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
- 1998 Master of Science, Dynamic Meteorology, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
- 1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2004 Spanish Language Course, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey, CA
- 2005 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, GA
- 2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL, by correspondence
- 2011 Leadership Enhancement Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC
- 2014 National Defense Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS & DECORATIONS:
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Military Distinction, Mexico
Naval Distinction, Second Class, Mexico
Brian retired from the USAF on January 1, 2022. He and his wife, Alessandra, live in Miami, FL, and have three children, Vittoria, Camille, and Nicholas.
The purpose of this endowed scholarship is to provide encouragement to young men and women who desire a Concordia education and to honor the life and accomplishments of Colonel Brian Pukall. The Col. Brian D. Pukall '91 Endowed Scholarship is awarded to students of any class or major. Selection is based on financial need.