5th MRS welcomes new commander, joins AFPC

Published July 26, 2012
By April McDonald

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Big changes took place last week in the 5th Manpower Requirements Squadron at Tinker.

On July 17, the squadron was part of a tri-agency consolidation and now reports directly to the Air Force Personnel Center. And on July 19, it welcomed a new commander as Lt. Col. Tracy Hunter took over for Lt. Col. Todd Sriver.

AFPC Commander Maj. Gen. A.J. Stewart, who officiated the change of command ceremony here, talked about the consolidation of the personnel center with the Air Force's manpower and services agencies.

"Fact of the matter, our U.S. Air Force is undergoing changes," General Stewart said. "Things are going to be different. We're going to be smaller as an Air Force, with less money and fewer people. Big mission still, but we have change happening to our Air Force. It's no different for the Air Force Personnel Center. As a matter of fact, we're a microcosm of the Air Force."

With the Air Force Manpower Agency and the Air Force Services Agency joining AFPC, General Stewart said the agencies now report to a two-star general instead of colonels.

"I want the people at Tinker -- the 5th MRS -- to know that you're part of this family," he said. "I am your commander and I felt it was my responsibility to be here to transmit that message. You're part of the AFPC family, you're under that umbrella. The consolidated field operating agency is a real thing now and we are one team, one family with one mission."

The 5th MRS is one of five Manpower Requirements Squadrons in the Air Force and they have a huge responsibility to get the mission done, the general said.

"Lieutenant Colonel Sriver has done an amazing job here," General Stewart said. "This squadron has won awards. It has been named as the most effective of all the MRSs."

The general said the 5th MRS has responsibilities that are on the short list of "things to do" for the chief of staff and secretary of the Air Force.

"The chief of staff and secretary have a list of high priority items," he said. "Two of those items from that list are strengthening the nuclear enterprise and rebuilding our acquisition excellence. Guess what the MRS did? Studies for the nuclear enterprise, studies for the acquisition enterprise. Great work that was done to establish and defend the requirements and define for the Air Force what we need to do in those regards."
The general said defending those requirements isn't always easy because sometimes the customers get answers they don't want to hear.

"You have to have a commander who is able to fly into a head wind, knock down barriers and give the answers the Air Force needs and that's what Todd did," General Stewart said. "Fantastic job, Todd. The Air Force has benefitted. Thank you very much for your leadership and all the best as your career continues to take off."

Before relinquishing command, Colonel Sriver asked his squadron to "keep bringing it every day for the Air Force."

"The last couple of years, I've asked a lot of you and you have delivered," he said. "This team has been phenomenal."

Before this assignment, Colonel Hunter was the branch head for PACOM and U.S. Forces Korea at the Joint Warfare Analysis Center at Dahlgren Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Va.

"I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to command a squadron that has such a profound effect on the way we organize the U.S. Air Force. It's not a job that I take lightly," she said. "Resources at this point in time are at a premium. Everyone is fighting for resources; this is DOD-wide, not just the Air Force. It's really important that we do our job right. From everything that I've heard so far, you guys are the best at that. I'm really excited to take command of this squadron."

Colonel Hunter's experience includes aircraft maintenance, command and control for search and rescue, weapons engineering, modeling analysis and program management. Though she has no experience in manpower, the colonel sees this assignment as an opportunity to grow.

"You don't know what you're capable of unless you put yourself into situations where you're not so comfortable," she said. "And that's my goal as the squadron commander -- to help the squadron continue to grow and maybe be a little uncomfortable and push ourselves into areas that we know we can achieve the goals set for us."

Lt. Col. Tracy Hunter, center, 5th Manpower Requirements Squadron's new commander, salutes AFPC commander, Maj. Gen. A.J. Stewart, left, during a change command ceremony at Tinker AFB, Okla., July 19.