Colonel STEPHEN L. LANIER

Colonel Stephen Lanier is the Commander, 315th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. He commands  22 units, comprised of three groups and an Aerospace Medicine Squadron. With a mission to provide unrivaled airlift and agile combat support across the spectrum of military operations, the wing provides worldwide movement of high priority personnel and  cargo. Missions range from local pilot proficiency training, aeromedical evacuation, contingency response and worldwide strategic airlift. 

Col. Lanier previously served as the commander of the  916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., the first unit equipped Wing to receive the KC-46A Pegasus in Air Force Reserve Command.

Colonel Lanier is a 1990 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and joined the Air Force Reserve in 2001 after nearly 11 years on active duty. He earned his Pilot wings as a Distinguished Graduate of UPT Class 91-14 at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

Col Lanier has extensive experience in all three of the Air Force’s current tankers -- the KC-46A, KC-10A, and KC-135R.  He has deployed in support of multiple overseas contingencies including Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and various others. 

1. August 1990–October 1991, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. October 1991–September 1994, KC-10A Pilot, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, March AFB, Calif.
3. October 1994–December 1997, KC-10A Instructor Pilot and Chief of Aircrew Training, 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
4. January 1998–February 2001, T-34C Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Wing T-34C Standardization Officer, Training Air Wing 5, Whiting Naval Air Station, Fla.
5. March 2001–February 2007, KC-135R Instructor/Evaluator Pilot and Chief Pilot, 77th Air Refueling Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
6. March 2007–February 2009, 916th Air Refueling Wing Chief of Safety, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
7. March 2009–December 2011, KC-135R Instructor/Evaluator Pilot and Chief Pilot, 77th Air Refueling Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. (Deployed February 2011–April 2011, Commander, 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey)
8. January 2012–June 2014, Commander, 77th Air Refueling Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
9. July 2014–May 2017, Director of Safety, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
10. June 2017–December 2019, Commander, 315th Operations Group, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
11. (May 2019–September 2019, Director of Mobility Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
12. December 2019-March 2024, Commander, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
13. March 2024-Present, Commander, 315th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

(Current as of March 2024)