90th Operations Group commander proud to take reins

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jennifer Viveiros
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. --  Warren's 90th Operations Group welcomed a new commander last month. So far, the colonel said he is impressed with what he sees.

Colonel Robert Vercher, 90th OG commander, is no stranger to Warren. He was stationed here in the early 2000s, serving both the Mighty Ninety and 20th Air Force.

"It's good to be back in Cheyenne," Colonel Vercher said. "It's a great community. Out of all the missile wings, this base is very unique and special.

"When I found out I was going to be the commander of the operations group, I was proud and excited because there is so much history here," he added.

The colonel says the 90th OG has a great reputation despite the challenging nature of the ICBM mission.

"This is a demanding, gritty, blue-collar mission," he said. "There is very little that is glamorous about being out in the field."
From the helicopter pilots to the chefs to the facility managers to the crew members pulling alerts - everyone in the group performs their mission with pride every day, he said.

"They really are a professional team," Colonel Vercher added. "It's good to come into a situation where the unit is doing very well."

As the OG commander, the colonel said his goal is to provide two guarantees.
One is that he produces crew members who are able to execute their responsibilities to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense.

They must provide the combat capability that Col. Greg Tims, 90th Missile Wing commander, requires of them, especially in the deterrence realm, he said.

"We're the hardware, software and people who get the job done," he said. "We are prepared to put our ICBMs on target as needed."

The second guarantee is that the group's ICBMs are safe, secure and on alert 24-hours a day, he said.

"Ninety-nine percent of our time is spent delivering the second guarantee," he added.
The colonel pointed out that's one of the things he really enjoys about the ICBM mission - everyone contributes and everyone matters. He has been excited and ready to accomplish the job from day one when the Air Force selected him for the ICBM mission. He said he was willing to go wherever the AF needed him and that happened to be ICBMs.

Because Colonel Vercher grew up in a military family with a father and uncle in the AF and a grandfather in the Army, he said he always knew he wanted to serve his country.

"I always remember watching at my dad put on his uniform," he said. "He had a lot of pride doing that. It made me want to follow his footsteps and join the military."

The colonel's strong sense of both military and family tradition has carried on in his adult life.

Colonel Vercher is joined by his wife, Amy and three high school aged children Alexis, Davis and Chandler.

He said his family is excited to reconnect with friends they met during his last tour here. They have good memories of the community, he said. Plus, Cheyenne has some great opportunities for outdoor activities.

They are excited about being able to ski, snowboard, go motorcycle riding, golf and just be outdoors, he said.

"All of my children have such diverse interests, but we all enjoy all-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles," he added.

The colonel is optimistic about his assignment here. Both he and his family are still getting settled into the base and the community, but are looking forward to the new opportunities that come with a new assignment.

As the 90th OG commander, Colonel Vercher will surely add a fresh perspective and new ideas, yet maintain the great reputation he said the group is famous for.