Colonel Drew Gehler is commander, 341st Security Forces Group, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, home of the largest security forces group in the United States Air Force. He leads five security forces squadrons of more than 1,200 personnel in providing security and force protection for the 341st Missile Wing, including its main operating base, 15 launch control centers and 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles deployed across 13,800-square-miles in central Montana.
Col Gehler entered the Air Force in May of 2003 through ROTC commissioning from the University of Alaska at Anchorage (UAA). He completed Security Forces Officers training in October of 2005, and since then has held a variety of Security Forces positions from Flight Commander to Operations officer, Staff Officer, and Squadron Commander. Col Gehler is an IDE National Defense Fellow and fully joint qualified officer.
Prior to assuming his current position, Col Gehler was the Chief of Mission Assurance Division, Air Force Operations Group, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, where he led a 24-person division to develop and implement Mission Assurance and Critical Asset Risk Management policy for the USAF.
EDUCATION
2001 BA, Geography, Gustavus Adolphus College, MN
2005 Security Forces Officer Course, Camp Bullis, TX
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2009 Master of Arts, Criminology, AFIT/CI, ASU, AZ
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL., DL
2016 National Defense Fellow, NNSA, NCR
2018 JPME-II, Patch Barracks, Germany
2019 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL., DL
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2003 - August 2004, Casual Status 19th Fighter Squadron Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK August
2. 2003 - April 2004, Student, Pilot Training Squadron, Moody AFB, GA
3. April 2004 - January 2007, Flight Commander, 824th Security Forces Squadron, Moody AFB, GA (May - September 2005, Antiterrorism Officer, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq) (June 2006 - December 2006, Flight Commander, Det. 7,
732d Expeditionary SFS, Baghdad, Iraq)
5. January 2007 - April 2008, Flight Commander, 39th Security Forces Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey
6. April 2008 - June 2009, Student, AFIT/CI Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
7. Aug 2009 - April 2011, Action Officer, HQ Security Forces Center/Operations, Lackland AFB, TX (October 2009 - July 2010, Ops Officer, Det 2, Iraqi Police Transition Team, 732d ESFS Baghdad, Iraq)
9. April 2011 - June 2013, Operations Officer, 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron, Minot AFB, ND
10. June 2013 - June 2015, Commander, 35th Security Forces Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
11. June 2015 - June 2016, Commander, 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Al Dhafra AB, UAE
12. June 2016 - June 2017, Student, National Defense Fellow, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), NCR
13. June 2017 - June 2019, Chief, Nuclear Surety, HQ USEUCOM/JEC3-10, Patch Barracks Stuttgart, DEU
14. June 2019 - April 2021, Commander, 21st Security Forces Squadron, Peterson AFB, CO (April 2021 - May 2022, Commander, 475 Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, Manda Bay, Republic of Kenya)
16. May 2022 - May 2023, Chief, Base Defensive Operations Division, Security Forces Directorate, Pentagon
17. May 2023 - May 2024, Chief, Governance and Strategy, Security Forces Directorate, Pentagon
18. May 2024 - July 2025, Chief, Mission Assurance Division, Air Force Operations Group, HAF/A3, Pentagon
19. July 2025 - Present, Commander, 341st Security Forces Group, Malmstrom AFB, MT
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2017 - June 2019, Chief, Nuclear Surety, HQ USEUCOM/JEC3-10, Patch Barracks Stuttgart, DEU (as a Lt Col)
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 2003
First Lieutenant May 28, 2005
Captain May 28, 2007
Major October 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2018
Colonel November 1, 2024
(Current as of [July 2025])