Bernd Velling is a retired Senior Master Sergeant who served over 35 years in the German Air Force. Bernd spent 33 years in different NATO assignments, 22 of which were as an aircrew member on NATO AWACS, accumulating more than 7,000 hours flying missions spanning the range from UN missions supporting operations in Former Yugoslavia including Operation Allied Force, post-9/11 counter-terror missions, and deployments to Afghanistan under the ISAF mandate. Of his 22 years as active aircrew, he spent more than 17 years in instructor, evaluator, and training development positions. A communications specialist by trade, he quickly grasped the overall importance of a holistic mission view and training as the backbone of any operation. He lives in the US and works for Vectrona.