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Col. Wertz will lead 498th MSUG

  • Published
  • By Howdy Stout
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Col. James L. "Pee Wee" Wertz, a combat veteran with more than 150 combat missions to his credit, took command June 19 of the Tinker-based 498th Missile Sustainment Group, succeeding Col. John B. Parkes.

"He's a proven warrior" and "a take charge officer," said Col. Richard Stuckey, commander of the 498th Nuclear Systems Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M.

Colonel Wertz joins Team Tinker from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he served as the director of the Air Force Materiel Command Business Integration Office. Previous assignments include command of combat and test pilot units.

Speaking at the change of command ceremony, Colonel Wertz said his leadership will combine accountability with responsibility.

"I think the Air Force has very clear lines of accountability," he said. "The accountability is the easy part."

Colonel Wertz says he hopes to maintain a sense of responsibility for the group's mission by taking ownership of problems, maintaining personal contact with those involved in the group, and finishing the job, he said.

Colonel Wertz joined the Air Force in 1986 as a pilot flying F-111 and EF-111 aircraft. He flew combat missions in support of Operation Provide Comfort, an effort to defend Kurds from Iraqi aggression following the first Gulf War. He then became a flight instructor before attending Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. As a test pilot, Colonel Wertz participated in weapons testing for the F-22 Raptor and other aircraft. He is a command pilot with more than 2,700 hours in more than 30 aircraft types.

"I envy you your opportunity to serve with this team," said outgoing commander Colonel Parkes. "Take care of them and they'll take care of you and the mission."

The last few years saw substantial changes to the group's mission, Colonel Parkes said. The unit participated in the revamping of the Air Force's nuclear deterrence force, rejuvenating some weapons systems while eliminating others. The 498th manages the Air Force's long-range, stand-off cruise missiles, advanced cruise missiles, air-launched cruise missiles and conventional air launched cruise missiles. The unit also oversees the weapons launchers and equipment for the B-52, B-1 and B-2 bombers.

The job of maintaining parts of the country's nuclear deterrent is vitally important, added Colonel Stuckey. "The No. 1 core function of the United States Air Force today is the nuclear deterrent," he said. "If that deterrent fails, we must be ready to for our republic to be preserved at any cost ... There is no rest for this group."