Ala. Cadets Hear from 42nd Air Base Wing Commander

U.S. Air Force Col. Eries Mentzer

Cadets in the Alabama Wing’s Maxwell Composite Squadron heard from a special guest during their regular weekly meeting – U.S. Air Force Col. Eries Mentzer, 42nd Air Base Wing commander at Maxwell Air Force Base, where the squadron operates.

Mentzer spoke to the cadets about leadership, Air Force and Space Force careers, and their volunteer service to the local community.

Mentzer leads all base operating, infrastructure and services support for 42,000 active-duty, Reserve, civilian and contract personnel, students, and families at Maxwell, Gunter Annex and the Vigilant Warrior Training site in direct support of Air University, the 908th Airlift Wing, Air Force Materiel Command units, Defense Information Systems Agency, Air Force and Army Recruiting headquarters and more than 40 other mission partners.

As Maxwell’s installation commander, she partners with local officials across a three-county, 12-city region in central Alabama with an annual military economic impact of $1.2 billion.

Maxwell is also home to Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters.