366th Maintenance Group gains new commander

  • Published
  • By Maj. Damien Pickart
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- --  The 366th Maintenance Group and the Gunfighter family welcomed its newest commander during an assumption of command ceremony Wednesday in hangar 201.

Col. Tim Fowler assumed command of the wing's largest group, nearly 2,000 strong, in a ceremony officiated by Col. Tony Rock, 366th Fighter Wing commander.

"As proudly as I crow about the accomplishments and challenges of our maintenance group, when I leave here this Friday, I'll go knowing that a battle tested leader is now at the helm," said Colonel Rock during the ceremony. "I personally recommended Colonel Fowler to Lt. Gen. Norman Seip (12th Air Force commander) because he and I spent a year together at Air War College and I know the strength and credibility he brings to the Gunfighter team."

Colonel Fowler is coming to the Gunfighters straight from a year of combat at Balad Air Base, Iraq, where he commanded the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group.

During his year-long tour, the colonel led maintenance support operations for three squadrons of F-16s and a squadron each of MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles, C-130 Hercules transports and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. Along with the maintenance challenges associated with a high operations tempo in the combat zone, Colonel Fowler and his Airmen also endured daily mortar attacks from local insurgents.

Colonel Fowler assumes command of the group from Col. Jerry Whitley, who departed the wing in August for an assignment at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

"The Gunfighter maintenance warriors have been blessed with incredible leadership for the past two years under Colonel Whitley and they're certainly continuing this winning streak with Colonel Fowler," said Colonel Rock.

The 366th Maintenance Group provides an array of maintenance support to Mountain Home's three squadrons of F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles. The group is comprised of four squadrons; electronic maintenance, aircraft maintenance, maintenance operations and component maintenance. The group has won numerous Air Force and Air Combat Command level awards in the past few years and played an instrumental role helping the wing win the Air Force Chief of Staff's Installation Excellence Award for 2007.

Colonel Fowler is a 24-year Air Force veteran and has spent much of his career serving as an engineer and maintenance officer. His career began in 1983 in the Air Force's Engineering Conversion Program. His assignments include serving as a structural strength engineer for the Propulsion System Program Office, an F-22 squadron maintenance and logistics test officer at the Air Force Flight Test Center and serving a tour as the Test and Evaluation director at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. The colonel has commanded at the maintenance unit, squadron and group level.

"While Colonel Whitley is not with us today to pass the guidon of command, I am confident to say the team he is passing on to Colonel Fowler is the best I've ever seen," said Colonel Rock during his closing remarks. "His magnificent service for the past year in the heat of battle