John Cochran Email & Phone Number

Huntsville, Alabama, United States

Test Engineer for Summit TRC supporting the JSIL Technology Center.

Huntsville, Alabama, United States

Served as the MQ-9 tactical and systems specialist supporting the standardization and evaluation component of S3I’s MALET-JSIL Aircrew Trainer (MJAT) program. Executed validation and verification events against the MJAT family of systems (FoS) while processing deficiency reports. Serviced 23 MQ-9 units by bridging communication gaps between operational and development teams.

Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

Director for 14 person scheduling team. Ensured quality products, standardization, and compliance with directive publications. Regulated information networks between multiple agencies to plan, execute, and report training requirements and crew availability to higher management. • Expanded the squadron's quarterly continuation training hours by 316% by overhauling communication efforts and pursuing new launch and flying locations. • Utilizing JavaScript and Google Sheets, developed a program to automatically compile and reformat individual schedules for 200+ personnel, increasing daily coordination and efficiency for shift supervisors.

Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

Responsible for conducting mission qualification training for new student pilots. Instructed current tactics and procedures for five mission types and four areas of responsibility. • Accrued 216 instructor hours qualifying 36 students to execute primary mission sets that included: close air support (CAS); intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); and air operation in maritime surface warfare (AOMSW). • Trained joint operations and integration with dissimilar aircraft focusing on airmanship, expert aircraft, and ground control station (GCS) knowledge, standard operating procedures (SOP), mission tactics, and MQ-9 payload applications. • Regularly taught mission qualification training events in the National Airspace System (NAS) abiding by FAA-approved COAs and operating within restricted airspace. • Developed the squadron’s pilot core with continuation training covering software upgrades, unfamiliar airspace, non-standard mission sets, and advanced simulator manipulation.

Sumter, South Carolina, United States

Piloted the MQ-9 Reaper providing down-range customers with reconnaissance and attack capabilities. Conducted mission planning, briefing, and debriefing for flying operations including risk mitigation, checklist adherence, pre-flight review, flight plans, etc. in the NAS and ICAO airspace. • Expertly exploited MQ-9 payloads to collect vital electro-optical and infrared imagery as well as signals intelligence while maintaining acceptable risk level against threats and hazards. • Executed over 1,400 hours of CAS and surveillance including armed overwatch for more than 2,000 U.S. and partner forces by integrating with ground tactical controllers and air operations centers. • Planned and flew 452 combat and support sorties, refining flying procedures for unmanned aircraft in 14 countries (hostile and civil airspace) across the CONUS, Europe, Africa, and Asia. • Safely recovered MQ-9s experiencing abnormal conditions and emergency procedures prioritizing aircraft survival while balancing established procedures in foreign airspace. • As the squadron’s electronic combat officer, fortified MQ-9 Ku SATCOM links responding to electromagnetic interference through report analysis, space force integration, and active countermeasures.

Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

Administrator for 33 operations supervisors. Ensured quality training, standardization, and compliance with directive publications. Accomplished shift coordinator duties including briefing the pre-shift huddle, receiving accountability, and scheduling flights and training. • Identified 15 program deficiencies and implemented corrections by hosting a four-week course focused on integration and communication with other departments. • Rebuilt the department’s 64-page continuity document in two weeks by correcting 45 outdated checklists and creating 26 new procedures. • Expanded functionality for several daily use applications by applying Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Word and Excel improving each shift’s productivity.

Sumter, South Carolina, United States

Led an eight-member team responsible for updating and standardizing 72 products used daily over three shifts and 15 flying crews to ensure proper planning and mission success. • Led external coordination for the “fleet” of ground control stations and worked to upgrade ten cockpits by scheduling downrange SATCOM tests to certify cockpits as full mission capable. • Using batch scripts, replaced a manual process by creating a brand-new automation tool for building cockpit airspace displays, rendering greater accuracy while reducing individual labor. • Conserved department’s efforts by building a custom data transfer tool allowing a seamless transition to a new record system and no loss of information.

Huntsville, Alabama Area

Responsible for drafting test documentation to ensure project requirements. Also selected to explore and design programs for internal automation. • Improved internal document management by developing custom tools with Open XML SDK leading to a 25% increase in efficiency during documentation review. • Integrated with partner companies to schedule and lead multiple testing events for customer verification with no discrepancies. • Authored 175 test cases and completed full document review on a compacted timeline.

Montgomery, Al

Responsible for managing the company’s web applications and internal network including configuring routers, firewalls, and VPN services. • Augmented the company’s website with PHP to run a custom algorithm regulating the sales process. This filtered higher-priority leads for the sales team and bolstered customer relationship management. • Customized company’s Salesforce application creating workflows, event triggers, business logic, and automated emails using the Salesforce API and Apex, the native cloud-based language.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Computer Science And Information Science, 4.0

Activities and Societies: Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Instruction and experience in user interface design, object-oriented.

Reaper Electronic Combat Officer Course

Academic and hands-on training focused on the electromagnetic spectrum, waveform principles and characteristics, satellite communications.

Undergraduate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Training

Training began with an initial flight school in a single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft, and IFR flight simulator instruction. Then, training.

Private Pilot'S License

Received FAA Private Pilot's License with a Single Engine Land rating.