Lt. Col. Michael P. Spaulding is the commander, 302nd Maintenance Group, assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. He leads Air Force Reservists assigned to two units -- the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the Maintenance Squadron. The Maintenance Group's mission is to maintain mission readiness of the eight C-130 Hercules aircraft assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing to ensure the wing's support of tactical airlift and airdrop missions, Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System support missions and the Aeromedical Evacuation mission.
Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Col. Spaulding was the commander of the 913th Maintenance Squadron, 913th Airlift Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, with oversight on all phases of manpower, personnel, policies and programs pertaining to the 913th Maintenance Squadron.
Lt. Col. Spaulding hails from Odessa, Texas. He entered the Air Force in Nov., 1994, through Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, Texas, as an Avionics Systems apprentice on F-15 aircraft. His first assignment was to RAF Lakenheath, UK. In 1998, he left the Air Force to pursue school. In 2002, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant through the ROTC program at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX. In 2011, Lt. Col. Spaulding joined the Air Force Reserve and served as the Maintenance Operations Officer for the 477th Fighter Group at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He has served in various squadron and group level positions throughout his career. In 2023, he moved to his present position as commander, 302 MXG.
EDUCATION
1990 High School Diploma, Permian High School, Odessa TX
2000 Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa TX
2007 Squadron Officer School Correspondence Program
2008 Squadron Officer School In-Residence Course
2009 Master of Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude), TUI University, Cypress CA
2018 Air Command and Staff College
2022 Air War College
ASSIGNMENTS
July 1995 – July 1997 Avionics Journeyman, 494 Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, UK
July 1997 – Nov 1998, Avionics Journeyman, 27 Fighter Squadron. Langley AFB, VA
Feb 2003 – Feb 2004, Propulsion Flight Commander, 314th Maintenance Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
Feb 2004 – July 2004, Maintenance Duty Officer, 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
July 2004 – Aug 2005, Assistant OIC, C-130J Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Little Rock AFB, AR
Aug 2005 – July 2006, Maintenance Operations Flight Commander, 314th Maintenance Operations Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
July 2006 – Oct 2007, Technology and Trainer Support Flight Commander, 982nd Maintenance Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX
Oct 2007 – May 2009, Aircraft Armament Flight Commander, 363rd Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX
May 2009 – Nov 2009, Director of Operations, 362nd Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX
Nov 2009 – Mar 2011, Maintenance Operations Officer, 374th Maintenance Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
July 2011 – Nov 2013, Aircraft Maintenance Manager, 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, JBER, AK
Nov 2013 – Aug 2015, Maintenance Operations Officer, 573rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, OO-ALC, UT
Aug 2015 – Nov 2016, Chief of Plans and Programs, 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group, OO-ALC, UT
Oct 2015 – May 2018, Aircraft Maintenance Officer, 124th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Boise ID (DSG)
Nov 2016 – Aug 2020, Maintenance Operations Officer, 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, OO-ALC, UT
May 2018 – Jan 2020, Commander, 124th Maintenance Squadron, Boise ID (DSG)
Jan 2020 – Aug 2020, Deputy Group Commander, 124th Maintenance Group, Boise ID (DSG)
Aug 2020 – Feb 2023, Commander, 913th Maintenance Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
Feb 2023 – Present, Commander, 302nd Maintenance Group, Peterson SFB, CO
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award with 3 oak leaf cluster
AF Good Conduct Medal
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
AF Overseas Robbin Long
AF Longevity Service with 3 oak leaf clusters
AF Training Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Lieutenant Colonel 1 Dec 2018
Major 22 April 2012
Captain 29 May 2006
1st Lieutenant 29 May 2004
2nd Lieutenant 29 May 2002
Senior Airman 2 March 1997
Airman 1st Class 2 Nov 1994
(Current as of February 2023)