New 552 ACW commander outwardly proud of Airmen; excited about Tinker tenure

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
Growing up, Col. Greg Guillot said his father taught him to be "quietly proud." While he may practice that in his own career, the 552nd Air Control Wing commander is outwardly proud of the Airmen in "America's Wing."

Colonel Guillot succeeded Col. John Rauch June 21. Prior to arriving for his third assignment at Tinker, Colonel Guillot served as the deputy director for Operations at Air Combat Command Headquarters at Join Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

"When I was stationed here as a young captain, it never even crossed my mind that I could come back here and be wing commander. My family and I could not be happier than we are at Tinker. There's not a position in the Air Force, rank, or job that I would trade for what we're lucky enough to do here," said Colonel Guillot, pronounced Gee-oh. "I am so proud of these Airmen. They are highly regarded, respected and they are one-of-kind Airmen, who are in high demand across the world because of their professionalism, discipline and the way they deliver battle management."

The Airmen are faced with an intense mission, strenuous challenges and are often sacrificing their personal lives for the bigger picture. Colonel Guillot said as commander, it is his goal to ensure they are prepared for what lies in front of them by following the training requirements and getting the most out of the limited budgets. Plus, he wants to meet with the Airmen, talk with them and make sure they understand the uniqueness and importance of their job, and remind them of the benefits that come from their work.
Additionally, caring for Airmen's families, needs to remain a top priority.

"Right now for many of our control and reporting centers and AWACS crew members are gone for six months and are only home for six months before they go again. Not only is it tough on the Airmen, but it is very, very tough on their families," Colonel Guillot said. "Our Airmen know the reason they're in this situation is because they are so specialized and so highly valued by commanders worldwide that there is no one else that can fill this critical role. But, what we don't want those Airmen doing is worrying about their friends and families while they're gone. They need to know we're doing everything we can to help them and take of them while they're gone doing that important work."
But, he said he is up for the challenge.

Prior to his change of command ceremony, Colonel Guillot worked closely with Colonel Rauch, speaking about the wing's needs and issues. Plus, Colonel Guillot has extensive history and battle management with AWACS, at Tinker and other installations. As a senior air battle manager, he has 1,200 flying hours and has flown in the E-3 Sentry, KC-10 Extender, F-15 Eagle, and U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

Colonel Guillot first came to Tinker in July 1998 where in his two-year assignment he served as chief of Weapons and Tactics for the 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron. In July 2003 he returned, first as the director of Operations for the 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron. In August 2004 until February 2006, he commanded the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron.

The colonel also served as a chief of Weapons and Tactics at the 607th Air Control Squadron and as a commander of the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.