Lt. Col. Murray Hansen has been selected to succeed Col Richard Poppell as the Executive Support Staff Officer (ESSO) for Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard. The announcement was made on 8 September by Maj Gen Scott A. Hammond.

Lt. Col Hansen is currently assigned to the 116 Air Control Wing, Robins AFB as the Operations Support Flight, Director of Operations. He is rated as a Navigator in the B-52 and B-1 aircraft and serves as an Air Battle Manager in the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. He has over 17 years of combined active and Air Guard service and is a veteran of Desert Storm flying 11 combat sorties in the B-52. He is married with two daughters, one son and one grandson.

Hansen was born in Seaford, Delaware, attended Marist High School in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Lake Forest High School in Illinois in 1979. He worked on the Chicago Board of Trade, prior to attending Westminster College and the University of Kansas, and then entered the Air Force in December 1983. The then Airman 1st Class Hansen worked for the 475th Weapons Evaluation Group, under Brigadier General Charles Horner, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. After completing only 18 months of a 4-year commitment, BG Horner urged and released him, to the Air Force ROTC, to complete college and return to fly. He completed the two-year ROTC program and received a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Valdosta State College in 1987. Lieutenant Colonel Hansen completed Squadron Officers School in 1996, after a three-year break in service, and Air Command and Staff College in 2000.

In July of 1987, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen started Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather Air Force Base, California. He received his training with the 452nd Flight Training Squadron and graduated in April 1988. He was assigned to B-52s and completed IQT training, with half the number of normally required sorties, with the 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Mather AFB, California. His first assignment was to the 62nd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

Lt. Col. Hansen arrived at Barksdale Air Force Base in January 1989. He accomplished MQT training at the Nellis Red Flag Range and was immediately upgraded to Instructor Navigator and placed on the Squadron's Tactics Crew. In his first year at Barksdale AFB, he was selected as lead navigator of numerous HHD missions which validated new profiles and targets, which reinforced NATOs understanding of the conventional bomber's European mission. He was a member of the only dual-qualified B-52 squadron, maintaining simultaneous qualifications in both nuclear and conventional weapons.

During Operation Desert Storm, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen flew as lead navigator on eight of eleven combat missions, dropping over 340,000 pounds of ordinance, and was submitted for the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was one of the first aircrew trained in launching the new HAVE NAP stand-off weapon system, developed by the Israelis. In 1991, he upgraded to radar navigator ahead of his peers and completed the program in minimum time.

Hansen was selected as the 2nd Bomb Wing's Public Affairs Representative for being the most active volunteer in briefing the local and regional civic organizations of the role of the 2nd Bomb Wing during Desert Storm. He was instrumental in developing procedures to host Russian inspection teams, as a result of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. During his tenure at Barksdale AFB, the 62nd Bomb Squadron was awarded the "Best Conventional Squadron in SAC, and the 2nd Bomb Wing was awarded the Omaha Trophy for the Best Wing in SAC for 1991.

From 1 January 1993 to 30 January 1996, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen had a break in service where he affiliated with the ranks of America's entrepreneurs by opening two restaurants in Savannah, Georgia. He then joined the Georgia Air National Guard's 116th Bomb Wing, 128th Bomb Squadron, on 31 January 1996. He was the Distinguished Graduate from the B-1B Initial Qualification Course 96-04 and rated exceptionally qualified during his initial qualification flight evaluation as a Weapon Systems Officer.

During the next three years, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen served as the Assistant Chief of Training followed by the Chief of Scheduling. He coordinated all training activities for Unit Training Assembly weekends, was a key member of the Mission Planning Cell, helped develop the Squadron's Aircrew Verification program, implemented the Unit Level Advanced Planning program and developed the Unit Readiness Briefing given to the Inspector General during the Operational Readiness Inspection. He was upgraded to Instructor and served as lead WSO on several high profile deployments.

In 2000, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen took over as the Chief of the Wing Operations Center, serving as the Wing Commander's representative to the Air Logistic Center's Battle Staff. He was the focal point for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty inspections and reporting office for Robins AFB, gaining the "best seen to date" distinction from an actual Russian inspection visit. Under his leadership, the WOC received the highest Command and Control rating (Outstanding) given to a Wing during a Phase 1 ORI.

Since October 2002, Lieutenant Colonel Hansen has been assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia where he has deployed twice in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom & Enduring Freedom. He served as the Assistant Director of Operations & Chief of Staff for the 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, and as the Director of Operations for the 116th Operations Support Squadron. He was elected to the Board of Directors for the National Guard Association of Georgia and elected as the Area III Representative, for Air, on the Board of Directors for the National Guard Association of the Untied States.

Lieutenant Colonel Hansen is a Master Navigator with more that 2,300 hours in the B-52G/H and B-1B aircraft. He received Air Battle Manager training in 2002 at the 325th Air Control Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida and was promoted to his current rank in February 2003. His military service awards include the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Combat Readiness Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Georgia Medal of Valor for Heroism.

Lieutenant Colonel Hansen is married to the former Sharon R. Fowler of Moultrie, Georgia. They have three children: two daughters, Holly and Haley, one son Quinn and one grandson Larson. His off-duty interests include private flying, real-estate investments, art/antiques/auctions, golf and hunting.

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