Lt. Col. Victoria Dewhirst is the Commander of the 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 307th Maintenance Group, 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. As commander, she oversees flight line maintenance of 18 B-52H bombers in support of the 93rd Bomb Squadron’s Formal Training Unit and combat flying missions. She directs the daily maintenance operational requirements and ensures that maintenance personnel inspect and maintain avionics, hydraulics, jet engines, electronics, armament, tooling, and general airframe systems. Also, she directs servicing, ground handling, weapons loading, and sortie launch and recovery actions. Additionally, she ensures maintenance on two additional B-52Hs for the active duty 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron and the 340th Weapons School.
Lt. Col. Dewhirst is from Amityville, New York, and grew up near Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. She graduated from the University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, in May 1994. In December 2000, she was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, with the Primary Military Occupational Specialty of Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She served in the active duty Marine Corps until 2006 and in the Individual Ready Reserve until 2011. In early 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Dewhirst completed an inter-service transfer as a Captain into the Air Force Reserve as a fully qualified and trained Maintenance Officer.
As a civilian, she is employed with the F-35 Program for the Production and Sustainment of Major Subsystems, Subcontracts Management, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, Air Force Plant 4.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), History Education, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Fla.
2000 USMC Officer Candidates School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
2001 USMC The Basic School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
2001 US Navy and USMC Aircraft Maintenance School, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2011 USAF Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2012 USAF Squadron Officer School, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 USAF Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2016 USAF Global Strike Command Leadership Enhancement Course, Barksdale AFB, La.
2017 USAF Reserve Command Squadron Commanders Course, Robins AFB, Ga.
2017 USAF Global Strike Command Squadron Commanders Course, Barksdale, AFB, La.
2018 USAF Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
- October 2000 – December 2000, Student, USMC Officer Candidates School, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va.
- January 2001 – July 2001, Student, USMC The Basic School (TBS), Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va.
- July 2001 – November 2001, Student, USMC/US Navy Aircraft Maintenance School, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.
- November 2001 – December 2002, USMC Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Corp Air Station Miramar, Calif.
- December 2002 – February 2004, USMC Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166, Marine Corp Air Station Miramar, Calif.
- February 2004 – June 2006, USMC Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
- June 2006 – March 2011, USMC Individual Ready Reserve (IRR)
- March 2011 – September 2015, Flight Commander and Maintenance Operations Officer, 301st Maintenance Squadron, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
- September 2015 – May 2017, Maintenance Operations Officer, 489th Maintenance Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
- May 2017 – April 2020, Commander, 489th Maintenance Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
- April 2020 – Present, Commander, 307th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with leaf cluster
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
DATE OF RANKS
Second Lieutenant December 15, 2000
First Lieutenant December 15, 2002
Captain July 1, 2005
Major September 10, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel October 20, 2021
(Current as of Dec 2021)