Bree Fram is an astronautical engineer, public policy expert, author, speaker, and retired U.S. Space Force colonel. She was forced to retire from the military at the end of 2025 due to Presidential policy regarding transgender people. In her final assignment she was stationed at the Pentagon where she developed the requirements for future Space Force capabilities.

​​Bree came out publicly as transgender on the day the transgender ban in the military was dropped in 2016. She transitioned while in a command position and served through the re-imposition of a transgender ban from 2019-2021. At her dismissal, she was the highest ranking out transgender officer in the military and she was the first, and only, out transgender officer selected for and promoted to the grade of O-6.

Prior to recommissioning into the Space Force in 2021, Bree served 18 years in a wide variety of Air Force positions including a Research and Development command position and an oversight role for all Air Force security cooperation activity with Iraq. In earlier assignments, Bree served in the Air Force Directorate of Strategic Plans, as a Legislative Fellow at the US Capitol on the staff of Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, several tours as a program manager for satellite and technology programs, and deployed to Qatar and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bree has appeared on national and international media, including ABC and NBC Nightly news, France 24, BBC, PBS News Hour, and NPR. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Defense One, Military Times, Inkstick, and LGBTQ Nation. 

Bree is an editor of With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words (November 2021) and its sequel With Valor and Visibility: The Next Chapter of Transgender Military Service (January 2025). She is also an author of Forging Queer Leaders: How the LGBTQIA+ Community Creates Impact from Adversity (June 2024).

Bree created the Forged in Fire LGBTQ+ Leadership Podcast and was the executive producer and co-host from 2022 to 2025. 
​
Bree currently supports the Brooke Owens Fellowship as an Executive Mentor. Her previous work includes co-leading the Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team, dedicated to eliminating barriers to LGBTQ+ military service in the Air and Space Force from 2023-2025 and as a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Diversity Working Group from 2019-2023 to increase diverse representation in STEM and aerospace. 

She also served in leadership roles at SPARTA, a non-profit that advocates and educates about transgender military service, from 2015-2023, culminating as President and Board Chair. Her work for SPARTA focused on national-level policy and advocacy to develop a more inclusive military. Bree served .

Bree has been married for more than 20 years to Peg Fram and they have two kids.

Recent Awards
Out100 Awardee, Out Magazine, 2024
Inclusive Diversity Award of the Year, Gays in Space, 2024
LGBTQ+ Engineer of the Year, Out To Innovate, 2022
Volunteer of the Year, Department of the Air Force, 2021

Education
MA, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, 2021
Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Ethics, Naval War College, 2021
MS, Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2007
Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2007
BS, Aerospace Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2001