F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. -- Col. Greg Buckner assumed command of the 90th Maintenance Group, June 3.
Prior to leading the Mighty Ninety’s 90th MXG, Buckner was the director for logistics and communications at the 20th Air Force, here.
The 90th MXG is responsible for the maintenance and support of 150 Minuteman III ICBMs and 15 missile alert facilities dispersed over a 9,600-square mile area in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska.
The unit is comprised of three squadrons: the 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron, the 790th Maintenance Squadron and the 90th Munitions Squadron. These squadrons ensure the world's most powerful ICBM force remains safe, secure and effective.
The 90th MXG provides training and evaluation for over 650 maintenance personnel, as well as over 200 specialized vehicles and 850 mission-specific pieces of equipment.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Air Force and become an officer in the maintenance career field?
A: “I joined in large part because my family has a history of military service to our nation. My father was in the Air Force, and both my grandparents were in the Army Air Corps and the Air Force. As a result, I realized that I liked the military lifestyle and that I had a desire to serve and be a part of something bigger than myself. When I joined, I served as an acquisition officer for several years, but along the way I decided I wanted to experience another side of the Air Force. As a result, I became an aircraft maintenance officer, which established a foundation for me with my current ICBM maintenance responsibilities. Although there is some uniqueness to ICBM maintenance, there are a lot of similarities to the way the Air Force maintains any weapon system.”
Q: What do you look forward to most about being with the 90th Missile Wing?
A: “I am excited to be a part of a mission that has such strategic relevance to our nation’s defense. Over my career I have served in a variety of different major commands, all having had missions of significance. While I am proud of what I’ve done in the past, I have never been a part of a mission that has such an impact on the security of our nation. This mission is exciting and very interesting, and I look forward to learning from those around me on the intricacies of how we employ nuclear deterrence.”
Q: How does your group’s mission contribute to nuclear deterrence?
A: “To me, nuclear deterrence is all about credibility, and for us to be credible and to deter individuals or nations, we have to have two things: we have to have the capability to use the nuclear force, and we have to be willing to use it. Every single Airman in the maintenance group, and every Airman in this wing, for that matter, is an integral part of both of these elements. We have young men and women who are willing to execute the mission anytime they are asked to do it. Whether they’re in medical, support, security forces, operations or maintenance, we all come together to assure our allies and deter our enemies, and we’ve been successfully accomplishing this mission since World War II.”
Q: How will you ensure the mission is safe, secure and effective?
A: “I view my job as setting the environment for being safe, secure and effective. We do that by providing resources, training and a safe environment with accurate technical data and the proper tools to get the job done right. We allow our Airmen to think critically and provide feedback if any items need to be adjusted, and then make changes based off that feedback. I strive to create that environment for my squadron commanders to, in turn, set the foundation and environment for their squadrons. As we all know, the Air Force mission is accomplished at its foundational level, the squadrons. Squadron commanders have a tremendous responsibility, and I’m lucky to have three talented commanders.”
Q: What are some operational goals you have in mind for the 90th MXG?
A: “My first goal is to do the job properly day in and day out. It’s about compliance and making sure we accomplish the mission the way it’s supposed to be accomplished. My second goal is to improve the health of our weapon system. At the same time that we’re trying to maintain the aging weapon system that has been around since the early ‘60s, we are also trying to modernize it. Concurrently, we are trying to replace the Minuteman III with a new ICBM system. All three of these efforts are happening simultaneously, and all of these affect the maintenance group. We need to ensure we keep this weapon system as healthy as we can, and that means performing proactive maintenance with the intent of reducing unscheduled maintenance requirements in the future. The bottom line, and the final goal for our organization, is that people enjoy coming to work, feel a direct connection to this mission and are proud of how we tie into defending our nation.”
Q: What can the Airmen of the 90th MXG expect from you and what do you expect from them?
A: “They can expect that I will do my best to take care of them, and that I will provide the leadership and guidance necessary to successfully accomplish our mission. I’ll give them everything I’ve got as their commander; I am here for them. What I expect from them is essentially that they know their job, they do their job well and that they are leaders. All Airmen, regardless of rank, can be leaders in performing their jobs. I’m truly excited to be a part of team Mighty Ninety.”