LCDR Brian J. Miller, USN (Ret.)

Secretary, Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society (NHAHS)

LCDR Brian Miller, USN (Ret.)

Frontier Airlines 1st Officer

LCDR Miller entered the Navy in 1995 as a submarine volunteer from his hometown of Dixon, IL.  During basic training at RTC Great Lakes, he was selected for an NROTC scholarship.  Upon successful completion of Nuclear Field “A” School at NNPTC Orlando, a newly promoted ET3 Miller was released from active duty to pursue a commission in the US Navy.  Following commissioning in May 2000, he went on to complete aviation training, earning his “Wings of Gold” from HT-8 at NAS Whiting Field on March 29, 2002 and was selected to fly the venerable SH-60B Seahawk out of San Diego, CA.  ENS Miller was Navy Helicopter Pilot Designation Number R-26476.

LCDR Miller joined the “Saberhawks” of HSL-47 in February of 2003.  During this tour, LCDR Miller participated in the historic “Bravo to Sea” deployment aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).  This served as the proof of concept for present day HSM squadrons deployed aboard aircraft carriers.  It was during this deployment that LCDR Miller delivered humanitarian aid to refugees ravaged by a tsunami in the Aceh Province of Sumatra in Indonesia.  During this humanitarian crisis response, formally known as Operation Unified Assistance, he became the first known SH-60B pilot to become a helicopter aircraft commander (HAC) at sea.  Several months later, he led humanitarian missions over the city of New Orleans and surrounding communities in response to Hurricane Katrina.

Following his first operational tour, LCDR Miller returned to his primary flight school alma mater, the “Rangers” of VT-28 in Corpus Christi, TX from 2006-2008.  As an instructor, LCDR Miller amassed almost 1500 hours in the T-34C Turbo Mentor, ending his tour as one of the first instructors at the newly formed Flight Instructor Training Unit (FITU).  His disassociated sea tour was as the Safety Officer on USS Peleliu (LHA 5) during an intense maintenance availability period followed by a Board of Inspection and Surveillance (INSURV) inspection.  Under his leadership, Peleliu earned a CNO Ship Safety Award (Green “S”), significantly contributing to the first Battle “E” ever awarded in the ship’s nearly 30-year history.  LCDR Miller returned to the SH-60B community in December 2010, serving as Safety Department Head, Detachment OIC, and Operations Officer with the Scorpions of HSL-49.  In 2013, a year after proudly leading his “Angry Beavers” on a very active deployment to Fifth Fleet in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he ended his military flying career with nearly 2900 total mishap-free flight hours. 

After leaving the flight line, he served as a space planner at the Joint Navigation Warfare Center at Kirtland AFB, NM.  While there, he became one of the relatively few space warfare qualified officers in the Navy, managing threats to Global Positioning System (GPS) architecture in both exercise and real-world environments.  His final assignment was as a program manager at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA.  Assigned to the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP), he managed a portfolio of over $20M in interagency agreements, helping partners agency and nations safeguard biological material while also providing them the capability to detect, diagnose and report incidents focusing on biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

After retiring in 2019, LCDR Miller worked as a program manager at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL where he worked in foreign military sales (FMS).  In this capacity, he managed the delivery of flight simulators and other associated training devices for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces MH-60R program.  Since 2023, he has been employed as an airline pilot.

LCDR Miller currently resides in Orlando, FL with his wife Diane and son Nathan.  He holds a BS in Business Administration, Finance from Marquette University and a Masters in Aeronautical Science, Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 

Among his decorations and awards are the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and a Navy Achievement Medal.