964th AACS welcomes new commander Published June 17, 2010 By John Stuart Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- With a return to his former Air Force home, Lt. Col. Geoffrey Weiss assumed command of the 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron. In Bldg. 230, Col. George Carpenter, 552nd Operations Group commander, presided over the change of command June 11. Colonel Weiss succeeded Lt. Col. Richard Boyd, who is now the deputy commander of the 552nd Air Control Group. "I know you're ready for the sacrifices of command that are about to come your way," Colonel Carpenter said of the incoming commander. "So stand by for a great ride. You're being given a rare opportunity to serve as a squadron commander. You're the right commander at the right time and you bring to us a broad Air Force experience." Colonel Weiss joined the Air Force in 1993 and since March 2009 has been the director of operations for the 552nd Operations Support Squadron at Tinker. "I am honored and excited to be back home, back among the premier Airmen of the maroon and gold," Colonel Weiss said, who spent several years at Tinker from 1998 to 2003. "And most significantly I'm glad to be back where my AWACS career began. It's going to be fun." The 964th AACS is a highly capable unit, seasoned with deployments under Colonel Boyd's command. While deployed in Southwest Asia, the squadron racked up 150 combat sorties for a total of 2,000 flying hours to manage some 5,300 aircraft in theater. The squadron deployed three E-3 planes to Canada to help provide security for the Olympics. The 964th AACS Airmen also provided security in support of President Barack Obama's state visit to Peru. "I couldn't have asked for a better group of brothers to serve with in this wing," Colonel Boyd said. "We have some of the greatest Airmen in the Air Force and in this wing. Your ability to get the mission done in spite of turmoil is incredible. I will miss each of you but I know that I will continue to hear good things about what the squadron will do."