KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Lt. Col. Rodney E. McCraine assumed command of the 403rd Mission Support Group during a ceremony presided over by Col. Jennie R. Johnson, 403rd Wing commander, at the Roberts Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Facility at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Saturday.
McCraine comes to the 403rd MSG from the Air War College at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and has previous experience with the 403rd Wing as the Logistics Readiness Squadron commander from 2010 to 2012.
In her opening remarks, Johnson spoke of the upcoming deployment the group is preparing for and the busyness of the group McCraine is inheriting.
“You have inherited a group that is ready to go,” said Johnson addressing McCraine, “and you are just going to help take it to the next level.”
Johnson said she previously worked with McCraine at the Pentagon, and that is where she saw his commitment to the Air Force’s mission and to the Airmen. While she noted his work ethic as incredible, she said it was his character that made him the person for the job.
McCraine provided a snapshot of his plans for the 403rd MSG and said maintaining readiness is the top priority, and that to do so requires two main focuses: people and processes.
“My job as your group commander is to make sure you have the tools you need to successfully have a career in the Air Force, but also in your civilian life,” McCraine said. “That is what makes us unique as Citizen Airmen. To enable that is through the processes. There is so much that goes on in the mission support group that has wing-wide impacts, so we are going to be focusing on these processes to make sure they are serving our customers, including ourselves.”
The 403rd MSG houses the Logistics Readiness Squadron, Security Forces Squadron, Force Support Squadron, Aerial Port Squadron and Communications Flight.
McCraine commissioned through Reserve Office Training Corps in 1999 as a Logistics Readiness Officer and served on active duty as an Active Guard Reserve officer in the Air Force Reserve. He received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Colorado in Denver in 1999, his Master of Arts in human resource management from Webster University in St. Louis in 2001, and his Master of Science in logistics management from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio in 2006.
Prior to his time at Air War College some of his assignments have included Squadron Command, Joint Movements Officer at the United States Southern Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Headquarters Air Mobility Command Staff, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command Staff, and various base-level logistics readiness duties.
McCraine said he had the support of his family and friends, other commanders of the 403rd Wing, and his squadron commanders to thank for the opportunity to assume command.