Lieutenant Colonel Robert P. Wengerter is the Group Commander, 315th Mission Support Group, Air Force Reserve Command, Joint Base Charleston, S.C. He is responsible for the operation and effectiveness of 400 military personnel assigned to three squadrons. Their mission is to provide air transportation, fuels, logistics plans, vehicle operations, vehicle maintenance and supply support to the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air Mobility Command.
Lt. Col. Wengerter enlisted in the Air Force in 1988 serving 4 years as a Pavements Maintenance Specialist. In 1997, he joined the Air Force Reserve, serving 5 years as a Traffic Management Specialist. In 2001, he graduated from The Ohio State University and in 2002 commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps as an active duty 2nd Lt. In 2006, Lt. Col. Wengerter came back to the Air Force Reserve Command as a Logistics Readiness Officer at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Lt. Col. Wengerter is a veteran of numerous operations and contingencies in support of national objectives to include Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and INHERENT RESOLVE. He deployed in support of Operation FIERY VIGIL, the emergency evacuation of all non-essential military and U.S. Department of Defense civilian personnel and their dependents from Clark Air Base and U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay during the devastating June 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Republic of the Philippines.
Lt. Col. Wengerter was called to active duty and deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in 2010 to serve as Commander, 451st Aerial Port Flight, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. In 2014, he deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar as the Director, Logistics and Operations Center, 466th Air Expeditionary Group, 9th Air & Space Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan. In 2019, he again was called to active duty and deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE where he served as the 442nd Air Expeditionary Squadron Commander. Prior to his current position, Lt. Col. Wengerter was the Deputy Group Commander of the 315th Mission Support Group at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
EDUCATION
1999 Associate of Arts, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio
2001 Bachelor of Arts, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
2002 Associate of Arts, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (in residence)
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., (correspondence)
2015 Masters of Science, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Ala.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1988 – September 1990, Pavements Maintenance Specialist, 4392nd Civil Engineering Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. September 1990 – September 1992, Pavements Maintenance Specialist, 554th REDHORSE Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
3. October 1997 – July 2002, Traffic Management Specialist, 445th Combat Logistics Support Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. July 2002 – July 2005, Officer-in-Charge, Material Management, 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
5. July 2005 – September 2006, Deputy Chief, Logistics and Current Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. October 2006 – February 2010, Officer-in-Charge, Vehicle Management Flight, 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. February 2010 – September 2010, Aerial Port Flight Commander, 451st Air Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
8. September 2010 – May 2011, Officer-in-Charge, Squadron Readiness, 445th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. May 2011 – April 2012, Officer-in-Charge, Air Terminal Operations Flight, 76th Aerial Port Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
10. May 2012 – April 2014, Operations Officer, 76th Aerial Port Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
11. April 2014 – October 2014, Director, Logistics & Operations Center; 466th Air Expeditionary Group; 9th Air & Space Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan
12. October 2014 – June 2016, Operations Officer, 76th Aerial Port Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
13. July 2016 – September 2018, Commander, 910th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
14. October 2018 – October 2019, Deputy Commander, 910th Mission Support Group, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
15. January 2019 – July 2019, Commander, 442nd Air Expeditionary Squadron, Camp Taji, Iraq
16. November 2019 – March 2022, Deputy Commander, 315th Mission Support Group, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
17. April 2022 – Present, Mission Support Group Commander, 315th Mission Support Group, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three devices
Air Force Commendation Medal with three devices
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with two devices
AF Outstanding Unit Award with three devices
AF Reserve Meritorious Unit Award
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
National Defense service Medal with device
Afghan Campaign Medal with device
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with three “M” devices
NATO Medal
Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 29, 2002
First Lieutenant July 29, 2004
Captain July 29, 2006
Major April 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 23, 2017
(Current as of March 2022)