Biographies

Colonel ELIZABETH A. APTEKAR

Colonel Liz Aptekar is the Commander, 60th Mission Support Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. She leads more than 1,900 members across six squadrons delivering the installation and mission support activities including  civil engineering, communications, contracting, personnel, security forces and logistics readiness.  Her team supports a base community of 135,000 and oversees an annual budget of 100 million dollars and resources exceeding five billion dollars.

The group provides direct support to the 60th Air Mobility Wing, a worldwide air mobility mission. The C-5M Super Galaxy, KC-10 Extender and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to Travis AFB participate in airlift and aerial refueling taskings, responds to Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed combat operations and supports U.S. State Department-sponsored humanitarian relief efforts worldwide. Her team helps ensure the readiness and well-being of more than 26,100 active duty, Reserve, civilian and contract personnel and their families.

Colonel Aptekar enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1993.  She was commissioned in May 2000 as a Distinguished Graduate through the Reserve Officers Training Corps program.

In previous assignments, she has served as a Public Affairs officer to the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a media operations officer at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and Focus Area Team Chief for the Secretary of the Air Force Nuclear Task Force, Washington, D.C. She has also served as a Technical Training Squadron Commander, Aide-de-camp, and PA Battle Major during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

EDUCATION

1997 – Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with honors, Rose State College, Midwest City, Okla.

1998 – Associate in Applied Science degree in Personnel Administration, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2000 – Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations cum laude, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.

2000 – Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2003 – Department of Defense Joint Course in Communication, University of Oklahoma, Okla.

2006 – Squadron Officer School (In residence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2006-2008 – Air Force Intern Program (In residence), Washington, D.C.

2007 – Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

2008 – Air Command and Staff College (By correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2010 – Joint Intermediate Public Affairs Course, Defense Information School, Fort Meade, Md.

2018 – Master of Strategic Studies degree, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1. February 1994-October 1997, Personnel journeyman, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

2. July 2000-September 2001, Internal Information chief, 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

3. January-March 2001, student, Public Affairs Officer Course, Defense Information School, Fort Meade, Md.

4. September 2001-February 2002, Media Relations chief, 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

5. March 2002-May 2003, Commander, Detachment 15, Air Force News Agency and deputy commander/operations officer, American Forces Network-Korea, Yongsan Army Installation, Republic of Korea

6. June 2003-August 2003, student, Department of Defense Joint Course in Communication, University of Oklahoma, Okla.

7. September 2003-February 2004, Deputy Chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe Internal Information Division, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

8. March -September 2004, Commander’s Action Group Special Public Affairs Action Officer to U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander, Ramstein AB, Germany

9. October – December 2005, Aide de Camp to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander, Ramstein AB, Germany

10. January – May 2006, Joint Operations Center Public Affairs Nightshift Battle Major, Multi National Corps Iraq, Camp Victory, Iraq

11. May – July 2006, Public Affairs Operations Action Officer, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Headquarters, Ramstein AB, Germany

12. August 2006 – June 2008, Air Force Intern and George Washington University Fellow, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

13. June 2008 – October 2008, Focus Area Team Chief, Secretary of the Air Force Nuclear Task Force, Washington D.C.

14. October 2008 – June 2009, Current Operations Officer, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, Washington D.C.

15. June 2009 – August 2011, Public Affairs Officer, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington D.C.

16. September 2011 – October 2012, Chief of Public Affairs, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany.

17. October 2012 – April 2013, Public Affairs Officer/Advisor to the Senior Defense Official, Ankara Coordination Directorate, Office of Defense Cooperation, Turkey.

18. May 2013 – September 2013, Chief of Public Affairs, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany.

19. September 2013 – June 2015, Deputy Director, Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

20. July 2015 – June 2017, Commander, 335th Training Squadron, 81st Training Group, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

21. July 2017– May 2018, Student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

22. July 2018 – May 2019, Director, U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia

23. July 2019 – July 2021, Director, Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs, U.S. Space Force, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.

24. August 2021 – June 2022, Director, United States Space Command Public Affairs, U.S. Space Command, Peterson SFB, Colo.

25. June 2022 – present, Commander, 60th Mission Support Group, Travis AFB, Calif.

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Army Commendation Medal

Joint Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

 

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

2010 Air Force Outstanding Communication Field Grade Officer

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS

Second Lieutenant 12 May 2000

First Lieutenant 11 Jun 2002

Captain 11 Jun 2004

Major 1 May 2010

Lieutenant Colonel 1 Feb 2015

Colonel 1 Jan 2020

 

(Current as of June 2022)