Colonel Eliot A. “Aaron” Sasson is the Commander, 62nd Maintenance Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He ensures the readiness of more than 1,400 active duty military and civilian personnel. The 62nd Maintenance Group partners with the 446th Maintenance Group to maintain, service, and load 41 assigned C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of worldwide combat and humanitarian airlift and airdrop operations. The group also provides 24/7/365 cargo, passenger, and aerial delivery for Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s power projection platform, to include operating the Air Mobility Command Passenger Terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Colonel Sasson is a 1998 graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Delaware. A career logistician, he has served as the Deputy Commander of a U.S. Air Forces Central Command expeditionary maintenance group, commanded Air Mobility Command’s largest maintenance squadron, and served three tours of duty in the Pentagon as an Air Force Intern, an action officer and Executive Officer on the Headquarters, U.S. Air Force staff, and as an action officer on the Joint Staff.
Colonel Sasson holds Masters degrees from National Defense University, George Washington University and Central Michigan University, and is a graduate of the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School. Prior to his current assignment he served as the Maintenance Branch Chief, Directorate for Logistics (J4), the Joint Staff.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
2001 Master of Science, Human Resources, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2005 USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1998 – September 2000, Aircraft Maintenance Officer, 89th Logistics Group, Andrews AFB, Md.
2. September 2000 – June 2003, C-5 Sortie Generation Flight Commander, Group Executive Officer, and Officer in Charge, KC-10 Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 60th Logistics/Maintenance Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
3. June 2003 – August 2005, Air Force Intern, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
4. August 2005 – July 2008, Maintenance Operations Officer, 735th Air Mobility Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
5. July 2008 – May 2010, Operations Officer, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
6. June 2010 – July 2012, Commander, 436th Maintenance Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
7. August 2012 – July 2014, Chief, Airlift, Tanker and Analysis Branch, Directorate of Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. July 2014 – June 2015, Executive Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2015 – June 2016, Deputy Commander, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
10. July 2016 – June 2017, Student, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
11. June 2017 – June 2019, Chief, Maintenance Branch, Directorate for Logistics (J4), the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2019 – present, Commander, 62nd Maintenance Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
June 2017 – June 2019, Chief, Maintenance Branch, Directorate for Logistics (J4), the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 USAF General Lew Allen, Jr. Trophy
2001 National Winner, Capt Robert W. Williams Military Award, Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Life Cycle Logistics, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program
Program Management, Level I, Acquisition Professional Development Program
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, January 3, 1998
First Lieutenant, January 9, 2000
Captain, January 9, 2002
Major, July 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel, October 1, 2012
Colonel, January 1, 2019
(Current as of Jun 19)