​Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) J. Daniel Brantingham is the Deputy Chief of Chaplains at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As a member of the special staff of the Chief of Staff, he assists the Chief of Chaplains in establishing guidance on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of Air and Space Force personnel and their dependents. Chaplain Brantingham directs and maintains a trained, equipped and professional Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,100 chaplains and religious affairs Airmen from active duty and Air Reserve components. As a member of the Armed Forces Chaplain Board, he and other members advise the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.
Chaplain Brantingham was born and raised in Washington, Illinois before he moved to Phoenix, Arizona when he was 7 years old. He is endorsed by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts. Chaplain Brantingham entered the Air Force Reserve in 1990 as a Chaplain Candidate, and then entered active duty in the Air Force as a Chaplain in August 1994. He has served as a Protestant Chaplain, Unit Chaplain, Staff Chaplain, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Cadet Wing Chaplain, Deputy Command Chaplain, and Command Chaplain. Prior to his current assignment, Chaplain Brantingham served as the Command Chaplain, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Arts, Principia College, Elsah, Ill.
1991 Master of Divinity, Boston University, Boston, Mass.
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1990–August 1990, Chaplain Candidate, 410th Bombardment Wing, K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich.
2. June 1991–August 1991, Chaplain Candidate, 3700th Air Base Group, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. October 1992–August 1994, Reserve Chaplain, 37th Training Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. August 1994–June 1997, Chaplain, 82nd Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. June 1997–May 1998, Chaplain, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
6. June 1998–August 2001, Chaplain, 11th Operations Group, Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
7. August 2001–June 2002, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
8. June 2002–June 2004, Staff Chaplain, Chaplain Service Institute, Resource Division, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2004–June 2005, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 2005–July 2008, Senior Protestant Chaplain, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
11. July 2008–July 2010, Chaplain Corps Consolidated Readiness Functional Area Manager, Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. July 2010–July 2013, Cadet Wing Chaplain, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
13. July 2013–May 2014, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2014–July 2016, Deputy Command Chaplain, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
15. July 2016–November 2018, Command Chaplain, United States Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. November 2018–November 2021, Command Chaplain, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. November 2021–present, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Air Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with silver and oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2001 Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, Junior Officer
1999 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
(Current as of August 2022)