JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Col. James Masoner took command of Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 7 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, during an assumption of command ceremony Sept. 1.
One of 10 detachments serving as the liaison and on-site support between Air Force major commands, Space Force and the AFIMSC enterprise, Detachment 7 directly supports Air Education and Training Command.
He recently told us a little about his life, his career and his thoughts about joining the AFIMSC team.
Time in service?
I enlisted in November 1990 to serve 4 years maximum. That was almost 32 years now and I’m still loving every moment (time absolutely flies).
Hometown?
I was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas.
Can you please tell us a little about your career leading up to this point?
I enlisted as a security police law enforcement specialist in 1990 and took my wife and son to Alaska for our first assignment. In 1995, I decided to try something new and retrained into financial management analysis where I learned a ton about how the Air Force enterprise operates, but I desperately wanted to get back to my roots leading Defenders.
With the help of some great people, I commissioned from Officer Training School in 2000 as a security forces officer where I’ve been blessed to have commanded five times, served as a legislative fellow in the U.S. Senate and FBI headquarters, and recently passed the flag as the 502nd Security Forces Group commander at JBSA. My wife and I have loved every moment of our 20 assignments together and look forward to what lays ahead at AFIMSC.
What about your new role has you the most excited?
Learning new things about our Air Force and finding ways to contribute to the mission of the First Command. As a core Defender, researching issues and collaborating on potential solutions in other fields is interesting and brings in a fresh view. I’m fortunate to have a great team of subject matter experts helping me learn and understand our challenges.
What do you want the AFIMSC team to know about you?
I have a well-seasoned team of subject matter experts with many years of experience in their assigned duties. I lean on them to ensure we provide the very best support to our vital customers and their critical missions and I’m here to provide them whatever support and guidance they need.
What do you like most about serving in the Air Force?
The opportunity to make a difference in the mission and in the lives of our Airmen. Although I’ve been blessed to be a part of many incredible organizations, I always want to leave it and our Airmen better than when I arrived. I put a lot of emphasis on taking care of people because they get the mission done and because leaders put that emphasis on me to help get me here today.
What's something people would be surprised to know about you?
Although age is catching up to me, I’ve run 100+ marathons and am on a mission to finish one in all 50 states. COVID has definitely put a hold on this, but I hope to get back to it soon.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I’m excited to get out, meet the teams, and really look forward to continuing to get after their challenges.
To learn more about Masoner’s career, read his official bio at https://www.afimsc.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/3147060/james-h-masoner/.