Bryan K. Hasty

Lt. Col. Bryan K. HastyBETHESDA, Md. — Lt. Col. Bryan K. Hasty, a military communications leader and Air Force officer, died January 6th, 2015 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. MD. He was 49 years of age. Bryan was a career military officer who served in Afghanistan and helped shape the U.S. Air Force technological and cyber landscape. He was also a devoted father and loving husband. Bryan succumbed to cancer after battling the disease for more than six months.Born in Emporia, Virginia, Bryan attended Pocahontas High School in Pocahontas, VA. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1984, serving as an electronics repair specialist. Ardent about the value of education, Bryan completed his bachelor’s degree at Northern Michigan University in computer science and mathematics and was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 1994. During that time, he served in Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, England and Germany. He earned three master’s degrees from Louisiana State University, Indiana University and the Air Force Institute of Technology and studied for his PhD at Indiana University. He reached the rank Lieutenant Colonel.After completing his Ph.D. course work Bryan returned to the Air Force Institute of Technology, serving as a highly regarded instructor. He developed and taught courses accredited for master’s students in information resource management, information and enterprise architecture, data communications and networking, knowledge management, usability and human-computer interface design, database design and management, systems analysis and design, and other cyber systems-related topics. He also had more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications related to his research interests. Bryan deployed numerous times in his career, which spanned 30 years. Most notably, the Air Force sent him to Haiti For Operation Uphold Democracy in 1995 as part of the U.S. military force to help remove the military regime installed by former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 2009, Bryan’s leadership was instrumental in the war in Afghanistan, where he deployed as an adviser to the Afghan Air Corps chief of communications in Kabul, Afghanistan from February 2009 to February 2010. He was also instrumental in creating communications capability for the Air Force in the run-up to the war in Iraq.His final assignment was to the Defense Department’s George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, where he served as the Chief Information Officer, overseeing a worldwide information technology mission stretching across 110 countries, three continents and affecting thousands. While at the Marshall Center, Bryan was also lauded teaching cyber studies and information technology tenets to defense and security professionals around the globe.Bryan’s military decorations included the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award , Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and two NATO Medals. Bryan was also active in the communities where his military service took he and his family. This included time volunteering with the Boy Scouts, his church and other community based activities. As such, the Air Force awarded Bryan the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal for his work. He also enjoyed taking his friends to task in racquetball. He is survived by his wife, the former Zoe Payne of Abbs Valley, VA; his mother Anna Hasty of Abbs Valley, VA.; his son, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Mathew Hasty of Bloomington, IN.; his daughter, Jessica Nicole Lin, her husband, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alvin Lin and grandson David Chi-Ming Lin, currently stationed at Fort Stewart, GA; and sister, Tracy Hasty of Knoxville, TN.A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, January 14th at 2:00 p.m. at Christ First United Methodist Church in Abbs Valley, VA with Rev. Gus Anderson officiating. The family will receive friends on Tuesday evening from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m. at the church. Burial services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Friday, January 16th at Danville National Cemetery in Danville, VA. In lieu of flowers the family requests that a gift be made in memory of Lt. Col. Bryan Hasty to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.leefuneralhomes.com."And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God." To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Bryan K. Hasty please visit our Sympathy Store.