16th Maintenance Group welcomes new commander Published July 14, 2006 By Staff Sgt. Kelly Ogden 16th SOW Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The 16th Maintenance Group deputy commander became the group's new commander during a ceremony here July 7 in Freedom Hangar. Col. Socrates Greene took command of the Air Force's largest maintenance group from Col. John Cooper, who is moving just down the street to become the Air Force Special Operations Command director of logistics. "I know that the group is going to do great things in the next couple of years," said Colonel Cooper. "We are going to fly thousands of hours and go places we have never been. I'm confident in all of this because Colonel Greene has been my deputy, my right-hand, and he is right for the job." "To the men and women of the 16th MXG, I am looking forward to serving and leading you," said Colonel Greene. "We will continue to sharpen our skills to meet challenges ‘Anytime…Any Place.'" Colonel Greene's past assignments include duties as commander of the 20th Component Repair Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, N.C., directorate of logistics at the Pentagon, a student at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., from June 2001 to June 2002 and deputy maintenance operations commander at the 20th Operations Group at Shaw AFB from February 2000 to June 2001. His military decorations and awards include a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, an Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, an Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and a National Defense Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters. "It is just really, really good to be here today," said Colonel Greene. "It was one of our goals when we joined the Air Force, now it is a reality."