Lt. Col. Jason A. Sterr is the commander of the 182nd Maintenance Squadron, 182nd Airlift Wing, Greater Peoria Air National Guard Base, Peoria, Illinois. He leads the largest squadron in the Illinois Air National Guard, which consists of personnel serving in 12 Air Force Specialty Codes and seven work centers sustaining a C-130H Hercules fleet’s tactical combat airlift mission readiness.
Lt. Col. Sterr previously served as the operations officer for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 195 at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where his duties included acting as Air Education Training Command’s antiterrorism and force protection officer for the city of Chicago. Having served in all three components of the U.S. Air Force, Lt. Col. Sterr was previously stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, serving in the Total Force Integrated 305th and 514th Mobility Wings. He was assigned as the aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge of the 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the operations officer for the 305th Maintenance Squadron, 514th Maintenance Squadron and the 514th Maintenance Group. He also served as executive officer of the 514th Air Mobility Wing, where he directed the wing commander’s staff in authoring, developing and implementing policies and procedures in support of the wing’s assigned personnel.
Lt. Col. Sterr earned his commission in 2008 through the Air Force Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Throughout his career, Lt. Col. Sterr has deployed and commanded missions supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Freedom’s Sentinel and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was an operations officer with the 182nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Peoria, Illinois.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Arts, Investigative Journalism, Columbia College, Chicago, Ill.
2009 Air and Space Basic Course, Air Education and Training Command, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training, AETC, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2010 Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officer Course, Air Education and Training Command, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2011 Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Aveta Business Institute, Cranberry Township, Pa.
2011 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course (AMIC), USAF Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2012 Master of Business Administration, Trident University, Cypress, Calif.
2012 MAF Maintenance Officer, USAF Expeditionary Operations School, McGuire AFB, N.J.
2014 Junior Officer Leadership Developmental (JOLD) Course, Air Force Reserve Command, McGuire AFB, N.J.
2015 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Principles of Instruction, Field Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2018 AFROTC Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies Instructor and Orientation Course (and) Academic Instructor Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2020 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 Leader Development Course for Squadron Command, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2008–December 2009, Operations & Training Officer, 325th Air Control Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2. December 2009–September 2011, Support Flight Commander, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
3. September 2011–August 2012, Aircraft Maintenance Unit Officer in Charge, 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
4. August 2012–May 2013, Maintenance Operations Officer, 305th Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
5. May 2013–May 2015, Operations Officer, 514th Maintenance Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
6. May 2015–September 2017, Maintenance Operations Officer, 514th Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
7. September 2017–April 2018, Executive Officer, 514th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
8. April 2018–April 2021, Operations Officer, Air Force ROTC Detachment 195, Chicago, Ill.
9. April 2021–February 2022, Operations Officer, 182nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
10. February 2022–Present, Commander, 182nd Maintenance Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2016 General John P. Jumper Award Winner for Warfighting Innovation, 514th Air Mobility Wing
2016 General Leo Marquez Award Winner for Maintenance Excellence, 514th Air Mobility Wing
2017 General Lew Allen Award Winner for Mission Generation, 514th Air Mobility Wing
2017 Lance P. Sijan Award Winner for Leadership, 514th Air Mobility Wing
2022 General John R. Alison Award Winner for Character & Innovation, AFROTC Detachment 195
2012 Summa Cum Laude, Trident University
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 6, 2008
First Lieutenant Aug. 6, 2010
Captain Aug. 6, 2012
Major Aug. 6, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel March 5, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF MARCH 2022)