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76th CMXG welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The 76th Commodities Maintenance Group has a new commander. On June 30, the group welcomed Col. Mike Christian.

Held in Bldg. 9001 in front of approximately 300 people, Col. Cedric George, 76th Maintenance Wing commander, presided over the change-of-command ceremony. Colonel Christian succeeded Col. Herbert Phillips who received the Meritorious Service Award sixth oak leaf cluster at the ceremony.

"My words to you, Mike Christian, are simple -- listen, learn, lead; unleash the whole capacity of this talented team. You can see we brought 28 production activities in here and if you look at this space, we're nowhere near being done," said Colonel George. "The demands on this commodities group are steady and increasing. So, we will continue to call upon your full talents and energy as you lead this team."

Colonel Christian comes to Tinker from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; where he served as the deputy commander of the 58th Maintenance Group in the 58th Special Operations Wing. Although he has never served an assignment at Tinker, Colonel Christian is familiar with Oklahoma. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, as well as his commissioning from the OU Reserve Officers' Training Corp program.

"Twenty-two years ago I left Norman, Oklahoma," Colonel Christian said. "I was a brand-new second lieutenant with a baby on the way. It's been a tremendous journey ever since trying to get back to Oklahoma and here I am a maintenance group commander. I am indeed fortunate."

Colonel Phillips left Tinker for a Pacific Air Forces assignment where he is the new Logistics Readiness Division chief at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

"Without question, you and this team have excelled over the past two years," Colonel George said to Colonel Phillips. "You have led the largest relocation this center has seen, moved 28 production activities in this aerospace complex and the consolidated fuels complex just down the road. You moved just over 1,100 personnel; impressive ... so two words for you, my friend, mission accomplished. You can be proud of what you've done here."

Colonel Phillips reflected on the team's accomplishments and said he will miss Tinker and the commodities personnel.

"To the men and women of the commodities maintenance group, I thank all of you," he said. "You are maintenance professionals ... I could not have asked for a better group of leaders, deputies, squadron directors, flight chiefs, first-line supervisors, second-line supervisors and all the maintenance personnel. Day in and day out, you make it look so easy and so effortless. You are the true heroes who produce the commodities' magic."