Lieutenant Colonel William C. McLeod is the Commander of the 442d Maintenance Group, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. He commands a Total Force Integration unit comprising the 442d Maintenance Squadron, the 442d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and the 442d Maintenance Operations Flight, which provides combat-ready Airmen in support of the 442d Fighter Wing’s A-10 Thunderbolt II mission.
Lt Col McLeod graduated from Park College in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and completed his Master of Business Administration in 2002. He was commissioned from the Academy of Military Science as a second lieutenant in November 2001.
Lt Col McLeod deployed in 2004 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM where he was the Detachment Commander for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. His leadership helped aircraft refueling efforts that included distribution of more than 10.3 million gallons of fuel and completion of over 260 Global Power airlift missions, transporting more than 1,800 personnel and 2,800 short tons of Cargo. He deployed in 2008 to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, where his team of 4 C-130Js broke the Kandahar Air Drop record in 3 consecutive months and had an impressive 144 consecutive launches without a maintenance cancel. Later that tour he was promoted to the Maintenance Operations Officer and oversaw 7 different MDS’s, 10 AMU’s, 3 FOBs and 712 personnel to include the largest UAV fleet in the Air Force. In 2014, while stationed at Patrick AFB, FL, he again deployed as Maintenance Commander to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Africa, with the HH-60s and MC-130 Airframes in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
His past assignments include Group Commander, Scott AFB, IL, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, Homestead ARB, FL, Maintenance Squadron Commander at Keesler AFB, MS, and Maintenance Operations Flight Commander, Patrick AFB, FL.
EDUCATION
1991 Communication/Navigation System Specialist Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
1995 Air Force Advanced Avionics Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
1998 Non Commissioned Officer Academy by correspondence
2000 Bachelors of Science, Accounting, Park University, Kansas City, Mo.
2001 Air National Guard Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson ANGB, Tenn.
2002 Masters of Business Administration; Rock Hurst University, Kansas City, Mo.
2004 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course; Sheppard AFB, Texas
2005 Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course; Sheppard AFB, Texas
2005 Six Sigma, Certified Green Belt
2006 Six Sigma, Certified Blue Belt
2007 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
May 1991 – November 2001, Avionics Communication/Navigation Mechanic, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
November 2001- April 2002, Executive Officer – 303d Fighter Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
April 2002 – July 2005, Maintenance Officer, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
July 2005 – August 2008, Assistant Maintenance Operations Officer, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
August 2008 – April 2010, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Operations Officer, Keesler AFB, Miss.
April 2010 – March 2012, Maintenance Squadron Operations Officer, Keesler AFB, Miss.
March 2012 – August 2012, Maintenance Squadron Commander, Keesler AFB, Miss.
August 2012 – January 2015, Maintenance Operations Flight Commander, Patrick AFB, Fla.
January 2015 – January 2019, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, Homestead AFB, Fla.
January 2019 – July 2021, Maintenance Group Commander, Scott AFB, Ill.
July 2021 – Present, Maintenance Group Commander, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Metal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service with one oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 silver Hour glass device and with 1 ‘M’ Device
Air Force Training Ribbon with one oak leaf Cluster
NATO Medal
Tenth Air Force General Lew Allen Award for Maintenance Excellence (2005)
Citizen Airman of the Year Award (2006)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic May 24, 1991
Airman First Class January 1, 1992
Senior Airman November 1, 1992
Staff Sergeant March 1, 1995
Technical Sergeant February 1, 1997
Second Lieutenant November 16, 2001
First Lieutenant November 16, 2003
Captain November 16, 2005
Major March 14, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel August 24, 2017
(Current as of November 2021)