Jason Bradley Curtis, 41, is an active-duty Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force.  He is a combat experienced fighter pilot with over 2,500 hours in fighter aircraft.  Jason most recently served as Commander of the 63rd Fighter Squadron flying the F-35A Lightning II aircraft where he was accountable to 45 officers, 9 enlisted, 11 civilian personnel, and $4.4B of US Government assets. 

Prior to command, Jason served as Thunderbird #5—the Lead Solo for the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron—flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon.  In this role, Jason represented the pride, precision, and professionalism of 680,000 Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve Airmen to the American public.  Before the Thunderbirds, Lt Col Curtis was qualified as a nuclear readiness mission command pilot where he trained to selective contingency nuclear assurance operations abroad.  Lt Col Curtis served overseas in the Pacific and European theaters, earning three Air Medals from actions in combat during operations Enduring Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, and Unified Protector. 

At Stanford, Jason is a visiting scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at the Freeman Spogli Institute.  His research focuses on small-scale startups, venture capitalism, and emerging technologies for defense applications.

Jason is a distinguished military graduate from the United States Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and a distinguished graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with an M.S. in Aeronautical Sciences.  At Georgetown University, Jason was Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy under Ambassador Barbara K. Bodine and became a 2017 White House Fellow National Finalist.  After Georgetown, Lt Col Curtis was a cohort member at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in Montgomery, Alabama earning a Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy.  Presently, he volunteers with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and American Field Service nationwide. Jason is a public speaker and mentor for young adults in his hometown of Kalispell, Montana.