Lieutenant Colonel Donovan Matteson
Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Studies
Commander, Detachment 085
Lieutenant Colonel Donovan Matteson serves as the Commander of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 085 and Chair of the Department of Aerospace Studies at the University of California Berkeley. He is responsible for leading a team of active duty cadre and oversees the recruitment, education, professional development and commissioning of the next generation of Air Force leaders.
Lt Col Matteson commissioned through ROTC in 2008 from the University of Portland with a degree in Finance. He has served in various positions including Executive Officer, Aircrew Flight Equipment Flight Commander, Chief of Training, Chief of Standardization and Evaluations and Chief of Wing Nuclear Operations Plans. As a board selected Phoenix Mobility Officer, he served in positions including Operations Flight Commander, Assistant Director of Operations, and Wing Executive Officer at the 621st Contingency Response Wing, NJ. He is a joint qualified officer, having served on USSTRATCOM J5 staff as a Nuclear Aircraft Strike Planner and Chief of Tanker Operations. Preceding his current assignment, Lt Col Matteson was the Director of Operations, AFROTC Det 075, San Diego State University where he led operations for the top 10% nationally ranked detachment.
Lt Col Matteson is a KC-135 Evaluator Pilot, with over 2,000 flying hours in the KC-135, T-1 and T-6. He has deployed multiple times in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, flying nearly 1,000 combat hours in the KC-135.
Lieutenant Colonel Maxine Lucas
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Studies
Director of Operations, Detachment 085
Lieutenant Colonel Maxine Lucas is an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Studies in the Department of Military Affairs and the Detachment’s Director of Operations and Education Officer. She oversees all Detachment training activities and functions to include recruiting and professional development. She is also responsible for ensuring the completion of all instruction-related activities.
Lieutenant Colonel Lucas is an Air Battle Manager (13B) in the United States Air Force. After attending the University of California, Santa Cruz, she enlisted in the Air Force as an Aerospace Propulsion Specialist for F-16s. Lieutenant Colonel Lucas received her commission through the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. She obtained a Master of Business Administration in Project Management and a Master of Science in Information Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology. Lieutenant Colonel Lucas is a master rated flight officer with operational combat experience on the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and multiple tactical ground command and control systems. Prior to her assignment at Detachment 085, she served as the Director of Integration, Operational Test Evaluator for Air Combat Command’s next generation prototype in the advanced Joint All-Domain Command and Control program portfolio under the Department of the Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office.
Captain Samantha Van Vynck
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
Operations Flight Commander, Detachment 085
Capt Samantha Van Vynck is an Educator for the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Military Affairs and the Detachment’s Operations Flight Commander. She is responsible for the planning and development of Leadership Laboratory, teaches and advises the third-year ROTC cadets.
Captain Van Vynck is a Force Support Officer (38F) in the United States Air Force. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University, she enlisted in the Air Force as a Weather Forecaster where she supported multiple missions and obtained an Associate in Applied Science in Meteorology and an Associate in Applied Science in Hospitality and Fitness Management. She served as a General’s Enlisted Aide before commissioning through Officer Training School (OTS) in 2019. She obtained a Master of Sustainable Tourism through Arizona State University. Captain Van Vynck has operational experience as a Section Commander for the 341st Missile Security Force Squadron, and a Flight Commander for the 341st Military Personnel Flight. In 2023, she deployed to Saudi Arabia as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. Prior to her assignment at Detachment 085, she served as the Executive Officer to the 75th Air Base Wing Commander.
Captain Chloe Thurman
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
Recruiting Officer, Detachment 085
Captain Chloe Thurman is an Educator for the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Military Affairs and the Detachment’s Recruiting Officer. She leads initiatives to recruit in-college, high school, and enlisted members in the geographic area, and is also responsible for the development, management, and execution of the detachment’s recruiting efforts, logistics, and funding.
Captain Thurman is an Operations Research Analyst (15A) and earned her commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health focusing on Biostatistics and a minor in Aerospace Studies. In 2022, she graduated with a Master of Public Health and a graduate certificate in Analyzing Health Data from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has served on active duty for seven years honing her skills as an operations test analyst in test and evaluation at Eglin Air Force Base and Kirtland Air Force Base and advancing modeling and simulation efforts for nuclear weapons at the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Nuclear Technology and Integration Directorate.
Technical Sergeant Kevin Syzemore
Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge
Officer Assessions Instructor, Detachment 085
Technical Sergeant Syzemore serves as the Officer Accessions Instructor for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. In this role, he is responsible for managing the security clearances, pay, and medical screenings of cadets preparing for commissioning into the Air Force and Space Force.
A native of Northern California, Sergeant Syzemore’s most recent assignment was with the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, where he provided advising on Warehouse Operations and Supply Chain Management to partner nation militaries in Central and South America. His experience also includes an assignment with the National Reconnaissance Office, where he focused on IT acquisitions for a secure global supply chain. Sergeant Syzemore holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Penn State University, a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Georgetown University, and a certificate in designing and building AI products from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.