Col. Gregory D. Buchanan is the Commander, 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. He leads 2,900 military and civilian personnel, executing strategic airlift with eight C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft, agile combat support, & aeromedical evacuation missions. Col. Buchanan is also the installation commander for the Air Force Reserve’s largest base, supporting 1,770 soldiers, Marines and civilians.
Col. Buchanan commissioned through the Navy ROTC program at Miami University, Ohio in 1995 and served as a Naval Supply Officer early in his career. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 2000 and held multiple leadership and staff positions in special operations, tactical airlift, strategic airlift, and air refueling at all levels of command. In addition, Col. Buchanan completed a limited active-duty tour in the Air Force Special Operations Command, including a squadron commander deployment and MAJCOM A3 staff tour.
Prior to his current assignment, Col. Buchanan served as the Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland leading inflight air refueling, nuclear deterrence, agile combat support, & aeromedical evacuation missions. He has deployed extensively in support of Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts, Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence 2012 Master of Business Administration, Trident University International, Cypress, Calif. 2013 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Certificate in the Foundations of Neuro Leadership, Neuro Leadership Institute, New York, N.Y. 2016 Reserve Component National Security Course, Washington, D.C.
2016 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va. 2018 Leadership Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, Pa. 2020 Director of Mobility Forces, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2021 Complexity Interactive, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, N.M.
2022 Nuclear Policy, Defense Nuclear Weapons School, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. 2024 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1995 – March 1996, Aviation Preflight Indoctrination Support Officer and student, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2. April – November 1996, Student, Primary Flight Training, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.
3. November 1996 – June 1998, Student, Strike Flight Training, Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas
4. June 1998 – December 1998, Student, Basic Qualification Course, Navy Supply Corps School, Athens,Ga.
5. December 1998 – October 2000, Disbursing Officer, USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
6. October 2000 – May 2001, Student, Initial Flight Training, 5th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
7. May 2001 – June 2002, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base,Miss.
8. July 2002 – October 2002, Student, C-130E Copilot Initial Qualification, Little Rock Air Force Base,Ark.
9. October 2002 – April 2003, MC-130P Pilot Mission Qualification, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
10. April 2003 – June 2008, MC-130P Aircraft Commander, 5th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
11. April 2004 – October 2004, Wing Scheduler, October 2004 – January 2006, Battle staff Executive Officer, April 2006 – September 2006, Wing Programmer, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
12. October 2006 – June 2008, Chief of Training, 5th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base,Fla.
13. June 2008 – March 2011, Assistant Chief of Training, 711th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
14. March 2011 – July 2013, Assistant Operations Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (May 2012 – August 2012, Commander, 9th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan)
15. July 2013 – February 2014, Chief Standardization and Evaluation MC-130P Pilot, HQ AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16. February 2014 – December 2015, Inspector General Director of Inspections, 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Fla.
17. December 2015 – January 2017, Director of Operations, 758th Airlift Squadron; January 2017 – July 2018, Commander, 758th Airlift Squadron; July 2018 – December 2020, Commander, 911th Operations Group, Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, Pa.
18. December 2020 – April 2023, Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
19. April 2023 – Present, Commander, 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,600 hours, including 615 combat and 156 combat support hours
Aircraft flown: T-34C, T-45A, T-37B, T-1A, C-130E, HC-130P, MC-130E, MC-130P, C-145, C-130H, C-17A, KC-135R and C-5M
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Navy Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Action Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
U.S. Delegate, Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (advocates for the reserves to the NATO alliance), 2023 – Present
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Navy Ensign May 7, 1995
Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade May 7, 1997 Navy Lieutenant June 1, 1999
Air Force Captain Oct. 23, 2000
Major June 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2012
Colonel July 1, 2018
(Current as of May 2024)