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Commander says farewell

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary Hinson
  • 315th Airlift Wing
CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. --  After 23 years of service, the commander of the 53rd Aerial Port Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., retires. 

Lt. Col. Ronald D. Powell will leave the Air Force Reserve squadron after more than six years in command. 

For Colonel Powell, joining the Air Force was a logical choice, considering his father had served for 28 years. 

“The primary influence on my decision (to join the Air Force) was my father,” said the colonel. “The Air Force has been a part of my life since being born at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and when entering college, it was a natural choice to enter the Air Force ROTC program.” 

Colonel Powell earned a Bachelor of Arts in computer science from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., and was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program. 

He entered active duty in 1982 and went onto serve in many roles including helping to implement the automated system that documented cargo and passenger movement.
In 1992, the Asheboro, N.C., resident joined the Air Force Reserve. He served as the logistics officer, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit, U.S. Transportation Command before becoming the 53rd commander. 

Throughout his active-duty and Reserve career the colonel has had many exciting jobs but the one that stands out the most is working with the 53rd APS.
“My toughest and most rewarding time came while commander of the 53rd,” said Colonel Powell. “It was the most challenging but also the place where I could see where I was making an impact. 

“When 9/11 happened, and we received the activation calls, the people proved they were ready.”
Another experience Colonel Powell said he is proud of is helping to develop the first personal computer version of software to track passengers and cargo during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 

“Just a week before the invasion of Kuwait, we had successfully linked three desktop computers and shared the data files using our test software. Within a couple of months, we were fielding a system that had never been used before – we were testing on the fly.”
Aside from serving his country, Colonel Powell is a public accountant and owner of an accounting business. He also holds a master’s degree in computer resource management from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo. 

As the colonel said his final farewell, he added this, “I hope my part has been to train and give guidance to not only my replacement but to those he will lead.
“I will miss the people…most of all the few and elite of the 53rd.”