Lieutenant Colonel Frey is an Assistant Professor of Astronautics in the Department of Astronautics at the United States Air Force Academy.  He currently teaches Astro 310: Introduction to Astronautics and Astro 321: Intermediate Astrodynamics, and is a faculty mentor for the FalconSAT Capstone program. Lieutenant Colonel Frey is a 2005 graduate of the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelors degree in aerospace engineering and earned his commission through the Reserve Officers Training Corps.

First assigned to the Protected Satellite Communications Group at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, Lieutenant Colonel Frey served as a Training and Early Orbit Operations Engineer for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite program where he was a liaison between the program office and operational units. Lieutenant Colonel Frey then became the Lead System Security Engineer for AEHF, working multiple certification and accreditation packages to support fielding the AEHF ground system.  Lieutenant Colonel Frey was next assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio where he obtained a Master’s degree in astronautical engineering and finished as a Distinguished Graduate.

Following AFIT, Lieutenant Colonel Frey served as Test Manager and Test Direction Flight Commander, 17th Test Squadron, Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado where he managed operational testing for the Operationally Responsive Space-1 imagery satellite and directed test planning and execution for other Air Force Space Command assets world-wide. While stationed at Schriever AFB, Lieutenant Colonel Frey deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lieutenant Colonel Frey returned to school in 2015, earning a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2018 with research focusing on constrained control of spacecraft proximity operations. Prior to returning to USAFA, Lieutenant Colonel Frey’s last assignment was at the National Reconnaissance Office where he served as a Branch Chief and Technical Director on several technical development efforts.

Effective Dates of Promotion

2^nd Lieutenant – January 3, 2006
1^st Lieutenant – January 3, 2008
Captain – January 3, 2010
Major – April 1, 2016
Lieutenant Colonel – March 1, 2021

Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence (2018)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2018)

Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama (2013)

Masters of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of   Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio (2011)

Space Systems Certificate, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, CA (2008)

Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama (2006)

Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2005)

Jun 2022 – Present, Assistant Professor of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

Aug 2018 – Jun 2022, Branch Chief and Technical Director, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virgina

Aug 2015 – Aug 2018, PhD Student, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Jun 2014 – Aug 2015, Executive Officer, Department of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

Jun 2013 – Jun 2014, Instructor, Department of Astronautics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

Mar 2012 – Jun 2013, Test Direction Flight Commander, Schriever AFB, Colorado

Apr 2011 – Mar 2012, Test Manager, Schriever AFB, Colorado

Aug 2009 – Apr 2011, Masters Student, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio

Jan 2008 – Aug 2009, Lead System Security Engineer, Los Angeles AFB, California

Jan 2006 – Jan 2008, Early Orbit Ops Engineer, Los Angeles AFB, California

Bronze Star Medal

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Joint Service Achievement Medal