Maintenance group changes command

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Carissa Morgan
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam --  Col. Bret Klassen took command of the 36th Maintenance Group in a change of command ceremony held May 24 in Hangar 2.
With the passing of the 36 MXG gidon, Colonel Klassen assumed command from Colonel Mark Mueller who moved to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where he is the 412nd Maintenance Group commander.
"I have a lot of unique experiences that are going to help me here," said Colonel Klassen. "I've worked with bombers and fighters, I have been logistics and also have been in munitions."
Colonel Klassen was the chief of Nuclear and Non-conventional Weapons Division at Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, before assuming command here. He served as the functional manager for more than 2,600 munitions personnel in USAFE. As the command's senior munitions leader, Colonel Klassen established policy on all munitions related functions regarding storing, handling, loading and maintaining the command's $3 billion munitions stockpile and associated equipment.
Colonel Klassen also was director of logistics while on a deployment. In this capacity, he received forces for combat zones as well as managed the commodities of the forward locations, such as fuels and supplies.
In addition to his other experiences, Colonel Klassen also was a maintenance group commander for two years at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
"When I was the maintenance group commander at Barksdale, I sent troops over here all the time," said Colonel Klassen. "I watched all of them go and wished I could as well and never was able to go until now."
Colonel Klassen is ready to take the reins and looks forward to meeting the challenges of the future.
"Andersen Air Force base has an exciting set of new challenges with all the new units, such as Global Hawk, coming in," said Colonel Klassen. "I'm looking forward to that, and am excited about the changes that are going to happen as far as modernizing facilities, the munitions stockpiles and the new forces of fighter rotations."
Colonel Klassen said that his past experiences will help him because he is familiar with the integration of forces into pre-existing structures. He has been on 14 assignments, seven of which have been overseas.
Colonel Klassen said that with the rotation of the deployed men and women from Barksdale, Guam already feels like home.