BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California –
The commander of the Air Force Reserve’s 940th Air Refueling Wing will retire Dec. 1 after more than 28 years of service.
Col. Stephanie W. Williams took charge of the KC-135R Stratotanker unit in June 2017, leading 1,200 reservists in support of worldwide national security objectives. She’s a command pilot with over 4,000 flying hours in KC-135, C-17, KC-10, C-130, T-27 and T-38 aircraft.
Williams was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1991 after graduating with distinction from the Air Force Academy. She has had 14 assignments and served over nine years as an active duty officer before joining the Missouri Air National Guard and, in 2002, the Air Force Reserve.
She was commander of the 349th Operations Group at Travis AFB, California, before assuming her Beale duties. Williams is a veteran of operations Southern Watch, Joint Forge, Iraqi Freedom and commanded the 385th Air Expeditionary Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in 2016-2017 while deployed from Travis.
Williams received a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2000 and graduated from Air War College and Army War College, as well as many other military studies programs and courses.