JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. E. Race Steinfort assumed command of the Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron from Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony M. Gurrieri here, June 8.
Air Force Col. Glenn A. Rineheart, Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Headquarters director, from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, presided over the ceremony and passed the guidon from Gurrieri to Steinfort, symbolizing the change of command.
Steinfort, accompanied by his wife, Air Force Maj. Emily Steinfort, and their children, along with his cousin, U.S. Navy Lt. Christian Heidgerd, came to Joint Base MDL from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii as the Pacific Air Force strategy plans and program director.
Gurrieri was selected for reassignment to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, where he will serve as the 437th Operations Group deputy commander.
“The men and women of the AMCTES are proud to have served with Lt. Col. Gurrieri and wish him and his family continued success and good health in their next assignment,” said Susan Gotta, AMCTES technical writer.
The ceremony concluded with AMCTES rendering the traditional first unit salute-in-place to the incoming commander, welcoming Steinfort and his family to AMCTES.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary last year, the AMCTES lineage traces back to the highly decorated 33rd Transport Squadron activated in 1942, which played an integral part in troop and supply transport in the South Pacific during World War II. Participating as the guest speaker at the squadron’s 75th anniversary celebration in September 2017 and welcomed as a distinguished guest at this change of command, World War II Veteran Seaman First Class Earl Graham. Seaman Graham was assigned to the USS Pensacola from 1943-1945, taking part in some of the fiercest naval battles of the war.
“AMCTES will continue its commitment to excellence as the sole operational test organization of AMC,” said Steinfort. “This selectively-staffed squadron, representing 29 Air Force specialty codes in operations, maintenance, logistics and support, operates locally at Joint Base MDL along with four geographically separated operating locations.”
The AMCTES mission is to provide warfighter proven solutions to the command by safely delivering timely, accurate and objective data and analysis to AMC decision makers.
Gotta said the vast extent of AMCTES’ influence is evidenced by the wide-ranging evaluations conducted on AMC’s weapons and aircraft systems, to include improvements to aircraft subsystems, software, tactics, techniques and procedures through operational testing.