New Commander For The 252nd Combat Communications Group

Story & photos by Maj Herb Porter

252nd Combat Communications Group ceremony for Lieutenant Colonel Neil A. Currie

The 252nd Combat Communications Group, Washington Air National Guard, named Lieutenant Colonel Neil A. Currie as its new commander, during an installation ceremony in September. The former squadron commander of two combat communications units in Western Washington, succeeded former Group Commander Colonel Mike Stewart, who took a new assignment as an Air Guard liaison with Air Combat Command.

Lt. Col. Neil A. Currie assumed the reins of leadership as the new commander of the 252nd Combat Communications Group in a recent ceremony at Camp Murray, WA. He replaced Colonel Michael Stewart, who assumed new responsibilities as Langley AFB, VA, as Air National Guard liaison to Air Combat Command. As one of the premier Combat Communications Groups in the nation, the 252nd is made up of eight units in Washington and two in Oregon, with a force of nearly 1,200 people, and a vast array of communications equipment.

LTC Neil A. Currie addresses members of his new command

Lt. Col. Currie will be responsible for administering and forces in the area of mobile combat communications, air support operations, weather information, and engineering installation and civil engineering, providing both direction and vision for the combat communications community as it enters the next millennium.

Lt. Col. Currie was born in Sault Ste. Marie, in Ontario in 1951. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1971 as a medical laboratory technician. He transferred to the National Guard in 1973 and was assigned to the medical clinic at McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base from 1973 to 1981, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. In 1977, Lt. Col. Currie completed his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee. He received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1983 from the same university. In 1981 he received a direct commission to First Lieutenant as a civil engineer. In 1983, after being transferred in his civilian job to the Puget Sound area, Lt Col Currie joined the 143rd Combat Communications Squadron (CBCS) Seattle, WA, where he held various positions in maintenance and operations, including Chief of Operations.

In 1994, Lt. Col. Currie became commander of the 262nd CBCS in Bellingham, WA. During his two-year tenure, he was instrumental in propelling the unit to earn the highest evaluation rating given by the Air Force Inspector General Team during its 1996 Organizational Readiness Inspection (ORI). A few months later, Lt. Col. Currie assumed command of his former squadron, the 143rd CBCS at Boeing Field. Once again, he brought about some significant changes, instituting new procedures and quality improvement processes, contributing to the overall enhancement of the unit’s wartime mission.

Lt. Col. Currie is employed by the Boeing as a Manager. He is responsible for the manufacture of composite and thermoplastic components for commercial aircraft. He manages approximately 900 management, administrative, and production personnel with a total budget of $135 million. Lt. Col. Currie is a registered professional mechanical and electrical engineer in the State of Washington. He has extensive training and assignments relative to continuous quality improvement and team building activities as part of his management responsibilities. His military education includes Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. Lt. Col. Currie lifes with his family in Kent, WA. His outside activities include church work, and participating in local school and recreational activities with his family.