Col. Aaron J. Heick is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex is a team of more than 10,500 military and civilian professionals delivering combat power for America. The Complex performs programmed depot maintenance and modifications on KC-46, KC-135, B-1B, B-52, E-3 and Navy E-6 aircraft, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul for F100, F101, F108, F117, F118, F119, F135 and TF33 engines, and a wide variety of commodities for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and foreign military sales partners. The Complex is also responsible for the development and sustainment of a diverse portfolio of mission-critical software for the Air Force, and worldwide aircraft battle damage repair capability for multiple weapon systems.
Colonel Heick is a 1996 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has an extensive amount of experience in both aircraft maintenance and logistics. He has commanded two squadrons, served as a deputy group commander twice and commanded two maintenance groups. In addition, during his twenty-one year career in the Air Force Reserve, he has been mobilized three times in support of Operations ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Arts in General Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
2002 Squadron Officer School by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Master of Science in Geophysics and Space Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
2010 Air Command and Staff College by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Air War College by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Air Force Strategic Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 Middle East and South Asia Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Central and South America Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Calif. (in progress)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1996 – May 1998, Various Supply Officer positions, 355th Supply Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
2. June 1998 – June 2000, Fuels Management Flight Commander, 319th Supply Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
3. June 2000 – August 2001, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 319th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
4. August 2001 – April 2002, Chief of Supply, 452d Logistics Support Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
5. April 2002 – April 2005, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 452d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, March ARB, Calif. (March 2003 – May 2003: Maintenance Officer, 744th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom)
6. April 2005 – April 2006, Maintenance Supervisor, 752d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
7. April 2006 – August 2006, Maintenance Supervisor, 452d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
8. August 2006 – February 2008, Commander, 452d Maintenance Operations Squadron, March ARB, Calif. (July 2007 – September 2007, Maintenance OIC, 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey)
9. February 2008 – April 2009, Commander, 452d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
10. April 2009 – August 2009, Maintenance Operations Officer, 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
11. August 2009 – March 2012, Deputy Chief, Maintenance Engineering Branch, Headquarters 4th Air Force, March ARB, Calif.
12. March 2012 – February 2014, Deputy Commander, 452d Maintenance Group, March ARB, Calif.
(Feb 2013 – May 2013: Commander, 452d Maintenance Group, March ARB, Calif.)
13. February 2014 – June 2016, Deputy Group Commander, Maintenance, 477th Fighter Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
14. June 2016 – March 2018, Commander, 940th Maintenance Group, Beale AFB, Calif.
15. March 2018 – October 2020, Commander, 452d Maintenance Group, March ARB, Calif.
16. October 2020 – October 2021, Deputy Director of Logistics/Reserve Advisor to AFSC Director of Logistics, Tinker AFB, Okla.
17. October 2021 – Present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, Okla.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with eight oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Award with five oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with three ‘M’ devices and two Ten-Year Hourglasses
Air Force Training Ribbon
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
Life Member, Reserve Officers Association
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Air Mobility Command Outstanding Fuels Officer for the Year 2000
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 22, 1996
First Lieutenant July 23, 1998
Captain July 23, 2000
Major July 23, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel August 20, 2010
Colonel January 28, 2016
(Current as of July 2022)