Travis “Bandit” Keenan keynote speaker

Travis “Bandit” Keenan is an active-duty fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. An instructor pilot in the F-16 Viper and T-38 Talon, he’s flown over 3,000 flight hours, completed 95 combat missions, and trained innumerable pilots from around the world. As both a gifted communicator, professional speaker, and a fighter pilot with combat experience over Iraq and Libya, Bandit brings a unique currency to the Afterburner team.

Bandit began his career after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. After completion of pilot training and his first assignment as a pilot training instructor, he was selected to fly the F-16 Viper. First stationed in South Korea, and then Germany; it was in this aircraft he led missions throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. After two combat deployments in Iraq, Bandit was a key member of a small, initial team responsible for planning and supporting the first US fighter missions over Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. As an F-16C/M mission commander, Bandit was responsible for leading packages deep inside Libyan territory throughout the initial stages of the conflict. The responsibility to plan and lead these missions was entrusted to a small number of select pilots. Bandit is a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and earned a Master of Arts in Education.

Bandit is also an experienced T-38C pilot and instructor. In this role, he trained hundreds of pilots from all over the world in the art of operating fighter-type aircraft. While serving as a staff-officer, Bandit played a key role in the planning and beddown of the F-35 Lightning II, ensuring that this complicated program was ready for implementation. The F-35 program is the future of the United States Combat Air Force and, at nearly $400 Billion, it is the largest DoD acquisition program in history.

Bandit brings a multi-faceted, fresh perspective to any organization. His real-world combat experience in the conflicts that have become part of our social consciousness gives him the ability to reach audiences and convey a message that resonates in their professional and personal lives. His dedication to Flawless Execution as he led teams in combat all over the world meant survivability and success for those around him. His continued dedication to this process at Afterburner means survivability and success for you.