JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Col. Stephen L. Lanier assumed command of the 315th Operations Group yesterday at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
Col. Jeanine McAnaney, 315th Airlift Wing vice commander, presided over the assumption of command and began by thanking interim commander Lt. Col. John Robinson for his dedicated leadership for the past nine months.
According to McAnaney, she referred to Lanier as the “right guy at the right time.”
After assuming command of the 315th OG, Lanier first thanked his family for their love and support, and for helping him achieve so many great things throughout his Air Force career.
Lanier was most recently the director of safety for Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He was responsible for all aspects of the command's flight, ground and weapons safety/mishap prevention programs.
He advised AFRC leadership on matters related to risk management and nuclear surety and provided safety oversight for 35 wings, 10 independent groups, and 70,000 AFRC personnel.
Lanier continued by thanking the men and women of the 315th AW for their warm welcome and for sharing in the assumption of command ceremony.
Lanier said he did his research on the 315th OG, and he is convinced he is assuming command of the best of the best.
He acknowledged how the success of the 315th OG comes through hard work and dedication of Citizen Airmen and said it’s fortified by family, friends, and civilian employers.
That success was attributed to Robinson, after his hard work as interim commander.
“Robinson must be doing something right because the operations group hasn’t missed a beat since he took over as interim commander,” said McAnaney.
McAnaney continued with a list of accomplishments under Robinson’s command. She praised his leadership skills and abilities, and she wholeheartedly thanked him for his selfless leadership.
Lanier is a 1990 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, and he joined the Air Force Reserve in 2001 after nearly 11 years on active duty. He has extensive experience as a U.S. Air Force pilot, and has deployed in support of multiple overseas contingencies including Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.