MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Col. Stephanie Q. Wilson took command of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education during an Assumption of Command ceremony at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 14, 2025.
Family members, colleagues, Air University leaders and Barnes Center staff watched as Maj. Gen. Parker H. Wright, commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, passed the unit flag to Wilson, signifying the transfer of authority and responsibility, and cementing the continuity of leadership within the unit.
“I’m excited about leading and developing our move forward; respecting the past while laying a foundation for the future,” Wilson said during her speech. “No matter the change, the Barnes Center will continue to build Airmen, provide responsive knowledge and engage students.”
Wilson comes to the Barnes Center from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, where she served as the commander of the 309th Missile Maintenance Group. She has held numerous leadership positions at the flight, squadron, group and headquarters levels, including deployments supporting down-range forces by controlling theater munitions movements and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency inspection support in Russia.
She was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Clemson University, S.C., in 2001, and was promoted to colonel on Nov. 1, 2022.
“I look forward to coming out to see what you do every day, from our staff to our instructors to our curriculum developers, and everyone who helps maintain the legacy of Barnes,” Wilson said.
The Barnes Center provides leadership and guidance for 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.
Wilson takes the Barnes Center reins from Col. Damian Schlussel, who commanded from June 26, 2023, to June 26, 2025.