Brigadier General Wayne Monteith Takes Over as New 45th Space Wing Commander

This morning (Aug. 4, 2015) Air Force Brigadier General Wayne Monteith officially took on his new role as commander of the 45th Space Wing during a Change of Command ceremony at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. In doing so Monteith is now Director of the Eastern Range for Air Force Space Command, a 15-million-square-mile area which supports an average of 1-2 launches per month aboard a variety of vehicles, including United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Delta-IV and Atlas-V rockets, as well as SpaceX’s Falcon-9 and Navy and other emerging launch vehicles, such as Small Class Vehicles which will start flying late next year from Kennedy Space Center’s new Launch Complex 39C.

In managing wing launch and range infrastructure supporting NASA, DOD, commercial, and missile test missions, Monteith now leads more than 13,700 military, DOD civilian, and contractor personnel in their responsibilities for the processing and launching of U.S. government and commercial satellites from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Lt. Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) and Joint Functional Component Command for Space, presided over the change of command ceremony.

“Brig. Gen. Monteith has the leadership, intellect, and operational depth to lead this wing to even greater heights, and I have seen firsthand, the strength of his leadership,” said Raymond. “I am confident that the stellar success of the 45th Space Wing will continue to thrive under his leadership.”

Monteith, who most recently served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, was promoted to Brigadier General last March, and now assumes command from Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno, who’s commanded the 45th Space Wing since June 2013 and has since been selected for promotion to Major General.

Armagno is now reassigned to serve as Director of Strategic Plans & Requirements at Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

“This job here has been the greatest opportunity, challenge and experience, all at the same time; I’ve had in my two-plus decades of Air Force Service,” said Armagno. “Growing up and going to school outside of Chicago, and then attending the Air Force Academy, I could only dream I would have been selected to lead the men and women who make up Team Patrick-Cape. But now it’s time to turn your attention to your new commander. General Monteith is well prepared to lead this team to new and even higher heights as he comes here at an exciting time, especially on the Eastern Range. With approximately three dozen launches on our 2016 manifest, your new commander — along with all members of Team Patrick-Cape — will inherit a mission ops tempo not seen around here in more than two decades.”

“I hope to leverage the tremendous success of Gen. Armagno and Team Patrick,” said Monteith. “My focus will be on taking care of our people, successfully accomplishing the mission, and continuing to build on the great relationship with our community partners. I want to personally thank you for taking care of our Total Force Airmen, enlisted, civilian and officer … I am ready to work with you to tackle the challenges of the future.”

“I look forward to leading this wing, but more importantly I look forward to serving you,” added the new commander to the men and women now under his responsibility.

Monteith shared his straight-forward philosophy during the Change of Command, one which Star Wars fans might recognize:

“Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Monteith’s first launch from Cape Canaveral as commander of the 45th Space Wing is scheduled to blast off from Space Launch Complex-41 at 4:07 a.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 31, courtesy of a 206-foot-tall ULA Atlas-V rocket, which will deliver the NAVY’s 7.5-ton Mobile User Objective System-4 (MUOS-4) satellite to orbit.

https://youtu.be/qBlbjDDgbcU
VIDEO: 45th Space Wing Change of Command Ceremony (Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith) Aug. 4, 2015

The following is Brig. Gen. Monteith’s official biography, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force:

General Monteith has served as a Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) combat crew member, senior ICBM standardization and evaluation crew commander, ICBM instructor, chief ICBM flight testing, and command lead for a major space acquisition program.  He commanded the Air Force’s only ICBM combat crew training squadron and the 50th Space Wing where he led more than 5,300 military, DoD civilians and contractor personnel serving at 14 operating locations worldwide in support of more than 170 communications, navigation, weather and surveillance satellites with their associated systems valued at more than $66 billion. General Monteith has also served in various special duty capacities including major command, combatant command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense staff positions.  He earned the Master Missile Operations designation and is a Command Space Professional.

General Monteith earned his commission as a distinguished graduate from the University of New Mexico’s Air Force ROTC program.

EDUCATION 
1989  Bachelor of Arts in Geography, University of New Mexico
1994  Master of Science in Business Administration, Lesley College, Cambridge, Mass.
1995  Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB,  Ala.
2000  Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2005  Air War College, by correspondence
2007  Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (formerly Industrial College of the Armed Forces), Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2010  Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2012  Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1989 – March 1990, Student, Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Missile Training, 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. March 1990 – April 1994, Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Combat Crew, Stan/Eval, Instructor, and Senior Combat Crew Evaluator, 400th Strategic Missile Squadron and 90th Operations Group, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
3. April 1994 – September 1994, ICBM Officer Code Controller, 90th Operations Support Squadron, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
4. September 1994 – September 1997, ICBM Test Operations Director and Chief, ICBM Flight Testing (Top Hand), 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
5. September 1997 – November 2000, Command Lead, Range Standardization and Automation, Phase I, and Chief, Space Launch Programs, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
6. November 2000 – April 2001, Executive Officer to the Director of Staff, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
7.  April 2001 – July 2003, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Commander, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Northern Command and Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. July 2003 – July 2004, Deputy Division Chief, Space Superiority Division, Plans and Programs Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. July 2004 – July 2006, Commander, 392nd Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
10.  August 2006 – June 2007, Student, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (formerly Industrial College of the Armed Forces), Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
11. June 2007 – July 2008, Director, Navigation Warfare, Space Programs and Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Networks and Information Integration, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2008 – August 2009, Vice Commander, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.
13. August 2009 – August 2011, Commander, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB Colo.
14. September 2011 – May 2013, Deputy Director, DoD Executive Agent for Space Staff and Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (Space), Washington, D.C.
15. May 2013 – June 2014, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2014 – present, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.