Colonel McCray takes over 76th AMXG

Published July 31, 2013
By Mike W. Ray
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Col. Gerald R. "Jed" McCray assumed command of the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group in a July 24 ceremony at Hollywood and Vine in Bldg. 3001.

"His experience in aircraft maintenance, sortie production, system program office, and success as a squadron commander and group commander, add a valuable perspective to our depot leadership team," said Brig. Gen. Donald "Gene" Kirkland, commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex.

General Kirkland thanked Janis Wood, deputy director of the 76th AMXG, for leading the group for the past six months. The emcee of the event, Maj. Jonathan Schuppel, executive officer of the 76th AMXG, said the assumption-of-command ceremony was "a celebration of continuity and change."

For the past year Colonel McCray has been the commander of the 376th Expeditionary Maintenance Group in the Kyrgyz Republic. There he led maintenance operations at "the premier air refueling hub that supports coalition operations in Afghanistan," General Kirkland related. It is appropriate that the colonel is now at Tinker "to take charge of the depot maintenance of the very same aircraft that our men and women send out across the world."

This is Colonel McCray's second assignment at Tinker. From 2000-2002, he was a captain in the Logistics Career Broadening Program at the OC-ALC, and the following year he was assigned to the B-52 System Program Office.

After a 10-year absence, the OC-ALC's commitment to excellence and teamwork is unchanged, "but how we accomplish programmed depot maintenance has evolved," the general informed the colonel. The 76th AMXG is comprised of professional maintainers who are "in the middle of a fundamental cultural change" to drive cost-effective readiness while focusing on speed, quality and safety.

"Our reputation is built on the quality of each and every aircraft that passes through our complex," the general added.

"In today's resource-challenged environment, I know that cost-effective readiness is more important than ever before," Colonel McCray told those attending the ceremony.
Addressing the 3,400 officers and employees in the 76th AMXG, the colonel said, "It will be your professionalism and commitment to continuous process improvement that will help lead us to success in this endeavor."

In closing, Colonel McCray said he is "honored to be provided this opportunity, and I look forward to serving you in this strategically important mission."