Col. Stephanie Q. Wilson is the Commander, Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. In this role she provides leadership and guidance for all aspects of enlisted professional military education courses, impacting more than 432,000 total force personnel worldwide. These courses include Airman Leadership Schools, Noncommissioned Officer Academies, the Senior NCO Academy, Foundations, the Enlisted PME Instructor Course and the Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course. Additionally, as a member of the Air Force Enlisted Force Development Panel, she ensures the Air Force maintains a balanced approach to developing senior enlisted leaders for the future.
Col. Wilson commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Clemson University, S.C., in 2001. She has held numerous leadership positions at the flight, squadron, group and headquarters levels, commanding twice at the squadron level as the 90th Munitions Squadron and 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron Commander at FE Warren AFB, Wyo. She has also held staff-level assignments at the Pentagon, Headquarters Air Force Space Command and Headquarters CENTCOM, to include deployments controlling theater munitions movements in support of down-range forces and with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency inspection support in Russia.
Prior to this position, she was the 309th Missile Maintenance Group commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah providing depot-level maintenance support to all three legs of the nuclear triad. Col. Wilson holds a Doctorate of Psychology in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Rockies, Colorado Springs, Colo.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science degree, Biological Science, Clemson University, S.C.
2001 Missile Maintenance Officer's Course, Distinguished Graduate, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2001 Air and Space Basic Course (Residence), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Nuclear Munitions Maintenance Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2004 Master of Aeronautical Science, Human Factors of Aerospace, Embry-Riddle Univ, Fla.
2010 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 National Laboratory Technical Fellowship, Weapon Intern Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2017 Doctor of Psychology in Organizational Leadership, University of the Rockies, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2022 Masters of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Aug 2001–Jun 2002, AOIC Missile Maintenance Teams, 34lst Missile Maintenance Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
2. Jun 2002–Jun 2003, OIC Vehicles, 34lst Maintenance Operations Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
3. Jun 2003–Feb 2004, OIC Missile Maintenance Operations Center, 34lst Maintenance Operations Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
4. Feb 2004–Jun 2004, Executive Officer, 34lst Maintenance Group, 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
5. Jun 2004–Jun 2006, Deputy Commander, Maintenance Flight, 17th Test Squadron, Detachment 3, 595th Space Group, Space Innovation and Development Center, Patrick AFB, Fla.
6. Jun 2006–May 2008, Commander, Maintenance Flight, 17th Test Squadron, Detachment 3, 595th Space Group, Space Innovation and Development Center, Patrick AFB, Fla.
7. Jun 2008–May 2010, Air Force Satellite Control Network Branch Chief, Space Logistics Group, Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. May 2010–Jun 2012, Chief of Field Support Section, Logistics, Installations and Mission Support Directorate, HQ Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. Jun 2012–Aug 2013, Air Force Fellow (IDE), Air Force Research Laboratory, Sandia National Labs, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. Aug 2013–Jul 2015, Commander, 90th Munitions Squadron, 90th Maintenance Group, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
11. Jul 2015–Jun 2017, Chief, Weapons Safety Issues Branch, Air Force Safety, Pentagon, Va.
12. Jun 2017–Jun 2019, Commander, 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron, 90th Maintenance Group, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
13. Jun 2019–June 2020, Deputy Division Chief of Strategic Policy, Air Force Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office, Pentagon, Va.
14. Jun 2020–Jul 2021, Instructor (SDE), Leader Development Course, Eaker Center, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. Jul 2021–May 2022, Student (Class President), Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
16. May 2022–June 2023, Director of Staff, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. June 2023–July 2025, Commander, 309th Missile Maintenance Group, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah
18. July 2025–Present, Commander, Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
AF Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
AF Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2022 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award, FGO Category
PUBLICATIONS
“Faux-Real: Counterfeit parts in US Inventory,” Exceptional Release, Jan 2012
“Enhancing Quality management in Stockpile Stewardship,” Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., 2013
“A new lens on deterrence.” Exceptional Release, Jun 2020
“After the flag: Supporting Graduated Squadron Commanders,” Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., 2022
“Building and Employing the Music-Coaching-Improv (M-C-I) Framework to Aid New Instructors in Overcoming the Imposter Phenomenon,” International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, vol 35, 2023
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant: May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant: May 30, 2003
Captain: May 30, 2005
Major: Jun 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel: Jul 1, 2016
Colonel: Nov 1, 2022
(Current as of Sept. 2025)