In a First, Air Guardsman Leads OTS

For the first time ever, a member of the Air National Guard now commands the Air Force’s Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Ala. The milestone occurred on June 8 when Col. Timothy O’Brien took over OTS. He had been the school’s deputy commander since September 2009. “Colonel O’Brien is a natural leader who inspires both the students and the faculty,” said Brig. Gen. Terry Djuric, commander of the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, which oversees OTS. It was just last year that the Air Guard moved its officer training to Maxwell, joining the active duty component and Air Force Reserve. Djuric said OTS continues to evolve and, “the real change we are hoping for is a more natural integration of Air Guard, Air Force Reserve, and active duty members.” (Maxwell report by Carl Bergquist)