Lt Col Whitney Lee is the Commander, 315th Mission Support Group, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. She leads an organization comprised of over 700 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel assigned to the Civil Engineer Flight, Security Forces, Force Support, Logistics Readiness and two Aerial Port Squadrons. This Group provides support to 2,200 members in the 315th Airlift Wing for maintenance of strategic global combat-ready airlift, combat support and aeromedical evacuation operations.
Lt Col Lee entered the Air Force Reserve in May 2006 through ROTC from The Citadel. She completed Logistics Readiness training in August 2007 and aircraft maintenance officer training in 2018. She began her career in the 38th Aerial Port Squadron, gained staff experience at HQ AFRC as a special assistant to the Director of Staff, then transitioned to Maxwell AFB as a Materiel Management and Fuels Flight Commander. She then served in Portland, Ore as the Chief of Logistics integrating logistics, manpower, personnel and operations planning in support of the Guardian Angel Rescue mission.
She returned to Robins AFB as the Logistics Support Branch Chief, performing Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution for logistics and maintenance requirements while developing and advocating for a one-billion-dollar portfolio as the Mission Generation Deputy Panel Chair. After joint professional military education, she crossed trained to Aircraft Maintenance and conducted upgrade training supporting the highest-flying F-16 Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Luke AFB. Prior to her current position, Lt Col Lee was the Commander, 924th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
Lt Col Lee’s deployment experience includes: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM serving as a Flight Commander assigned to the 332d Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq in 2010, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE serving as a Director of Operations assigned to the 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, Iraq in 2019-2020, and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE serving as Director of the Air Enterprise Development Cell in UNION III Baghdad, Iraq in 2021-2022.
EDUCATION
2006 Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice and Spanish, The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina
2007 Logistics Readiness Officer School, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2008 Reserve Officer Development Education Phase I, Robins AFB, Georgia
2009 Reserve Officer Development Education Phase II, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
2010 Air Terminal Operations Leaders Course, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
2011 Anti-Terrorism/ Force Protection Level 2 Course, Dobbins ARB, Georgia
2012 Masters of Science, Exercise Science and Health Promotion, California University, California, Pennsylvania
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2014 Junior Officer Leadership Development Course, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
2014 Logistics 199 Course, Air Force Institute of Technology, AFB, Georgia
2014 Intermediate Logistics Readiness Officers Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2015 Advanced Logistics Readiness Officers Course, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
2016 Logistics 399 Course, Air Force Institute of Technology, JB Charleston, South Carolina
2016 Contingency Wartime Planners Course, The LeMay Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2016 Leadership Today and Tomorrow, Robins AFB, Georgia
2018 Masters of Arts, Military Strategy and JPME I, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Virginia
2018 Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2018 Logistics 262, Applied Maintenance and Logistics Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Luke AFB, Arizona
2019 Leadership Development Course for Squadron Command, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2019 Air Advisor Course, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
2020 Air Force Reserve Command Professional Development Course for Squadron Command, Robins AFB, Georgia
2021 Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2022 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, Washington, DC
2022 Joint and Combined Warfighting School – Hybrid Course, Joint Forces Staff College, Virginia
2023 Logistics 420, Enterprise Logistics Course, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2023 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
2024 Masters of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, College of Naval Warfare, Newport, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2006 – June 2012, Flight Commander, 38th Aerial Port Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina (March 2010 – September 2010, Flight Commander, 332d Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq)
2. June 2011 – January 2012, Assistant Director of Operations, 951st Reserve Support Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia
3. January 2012 – January 2014, Special Assistant to Director of Staff, HQ AFRC, Robins AFB, Georgia
4. January 2014 – September 2014, Flight Commander, 908th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
5. September 2014 – January 2017, Chief of Logistics, 304th Rescue Squadron, Portland International Airport, Oregon
6. January 2017 – July 2017, Chief, Logistics Support Branch, HQ AFRC/A4PL, Robins AFB, Georgia
7. July 2017 – June 2018, Student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Virginia
8. June 2018 – March 2020, F-16 Aircraft Maintenance Unit OIC, 944t Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona (July 2019 – January 2020, Director of Operations, 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, Iraq)
9. March 2020 – June 2023, Commander, 924th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona (July 2021 – January 2022, Director, Air Enterprise Development Cell, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Union III, Baghdad, Iraq)
10. June 2023 – June 2024, Student, College of Naval Warfare, Newport Naval Station, Rhode Island
11. June 2024 – Present, Commander, 315th Mission Support Group, JB Charleston, South Carolina
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with one service star
Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 5, 2006
First Lieutenant May 13, 2008
Captain May 13, 2010
Major May 13, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel September 2, 2020
(Current as of July 2024)