JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The 437th Maintenance Squadron welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony June 22, 2010 here.
Maj. Jeffrey Darden, former operations officer for the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., replaced Maj. Sara Huiss who now works at the Pentagon.
Major Darden was born at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio and grew up in Beavercreek, Ohio.
He attended Beavercreek High School and upon graduating high school he attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Major Darden received his commission when he graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in History.
Major Darden's first assignment was at McChord AFB, Wash., followed by Tinker AFB, Okla., Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Little Rock AFB. He has served in the Air Mobility Command, Air Force Materiel Command and Pacific Air Forces and worked with C-141B, C-17, B-52 and C-130 aircraft. He has held assignments on the flightline, back shops, Air Logistics Center and Program Integration Office levels. He was also the maintenance officer for the C-17 bed down team, responsible for logistics and the integration of the first Active-Associate Total Force unit.
As the new commander of the 437 MXS, he said he is excited to come back to the C-17 mission and command for the first time.
"My push is to encourage the squadron to use their amazing creativity to develop better and smarter ways to do things," stated Major Darden.
What is your most memorable moment in the Air Force? Lots of great memories and great moments, but recently, watching aircraft 62-1817, C-130E - nicknamed "Patches" after it got shot up at Khe Sahn, taxi out of Little Rock for the last time on its way to Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
What do you expect from your Airmen? Integrity, effort and teamwork.
What is your favorite television show? The Office
Who is your favorite author? Bryce Courtenay is pretty good ... Gary Larson too.
What is a major pet peeve of yours? Chewing with your mouth open.
What is your favorite quote? Hmm ... I suppose it's situational but, "life is hard, it's even harder if you're stupid," is pretty good. I also like the quote "I didn't fail 1,000 times to create a light bulb, I discovered 1,000 ways that a light bulb could not be made," by Thomas Edison.
Why did you join the Air Force? My dad told me that since he was helping me pay for college that I had to join ROTC for the first semester and I could decide after that ... well, I liked it and made some friends and here I am.
Who is your role model? My dad is my role model because of the way he handles situations and his service to the nation and community throughout the past forty-plus years.
How would you describe your leadership style? Fair and approachable.