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76th PMXG welcomes Colonel Petters as new commander

  • Published
  • By Mike W. Ray
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  "I believe in the concept of excellence," Col. Stephen D. Petters declared upon assuming command of the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group. Compliance, creativity and courage "will be my watchwords," he pledged.

Colonel Petters praised his predecessor, Col. Robert Helgeson, who retired last month. "Bob did a fantastic job."

In welcoming Colonel Petters, Brig. Gen. Gene Kirkland, commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, said the 76th PMXG has "a tremendous leadership team up and down the group."

The 76th PMXG maintains nine lines of aircraft engines and hundreds of components, General Kirkland noted. The impact of the 76th PMXG on the Air Force and its sister services "is undeniable," Colonel Petters said. "Just listen to the roar."

The assumption-of-command ceremony was held in Bldg. 3001 on Aug. 15, which coincidentally was the 27th wedding anniversary of Colonel Petters and his wife, Susan. The couple has six children.

This is the colonel's fourth command. Previously he was commander of the 48th Munitions Squadron, and then the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron, at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, U.K. For the last two years he has commanded the 2nd Maintenance Group at Barksdale AFB, La., which supports the largest fleet of B-52H bombers in the Air Force.

Colonel Petters was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1989. He has held a variety of aircraft and munitions maintenance assignments at wing, Air Logistics Center, and Air Staff levels. He also spent a one-year tour in Afghanistan as director of logistics and resourcing for the Combined Air Power Task Force.

He earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in Utah, plus four master's degrees: a master of arts in procurement and acquisition management from Webster University in New Mexico, a master's in business administration (with honors) from Webster University, a master of military operational art and science degree from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Ala., and a master of science degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Ft. McNair in Washington, D.C.