Colonel Nathan R. Hier is the Commander, 23d Maintenance Group, 23d Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, home of the Air Force’s legendary “Flying Tigers.” The group provides safe, reliable and effective maintenance on 49 A-10C, 9 HC-130J, and 9 HH-60W aircraft valued at $2.3 B. He leads over 1,800 personnel in one of the Air Force’s largest combat coded maintenance groups and ensures their ability to deploy aircraft, personnel and cargo worldwide to conduct forward air control, close air support, air interdiction, and both civilian and combat search and rescue missions.
Colonel Hier is a 2002 graduate of Wayland Baptist University and earned his commission through the Air Force Officer Training School. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1995 and has served over 30 years. As an aircraft maintenance officer, he has served in a variety of positions in Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Education Training Command, Air Force Material Command, Pacific Air Forces and Air Forces Central. He has deployed multiple times in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, RESOLUTE SUPPORT, INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Occupational Education, Wayland Baptist University, satellite campus, Anchorage, AK
2004 Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2011 Squadron Officer School (in-residence), Maxwell AFB, AL.
2015 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL.
2017 Air Command and Staff College (in-residence), Maxwell AFB, AL.
2023 Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort McNair, DC.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2004 – September 2005, Assistant Officer in Charge, 60th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Travis Air Force Base, CA.
2. September 2005 – July 2006, Fabrication Flight Commander, 60th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Travis AFB, CA.
3. July 2006 – September 2007, Executive Officer, 60th Maintenance Group, Travis AFB, CA .
4. September 2007 – May 2008, Officer in Charge, 860th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Travis AFB, CA.
5. May 2008 – February 2010, Detachment Commander, 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 9, Tinker Air Force Base, OK.
6. February 2010 – April 2012, Deputy Director, 544th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, CA.
7. April 2012 – April 2013, Deputy Officer in Charge, Regional Training Center-1, Nangarhar, Afghanistan; Aide-de-Camp to Deputy Commanding General, Combined Joint Interagency Taskforce 435, Kabul, Afghanistan
8. April 2013 – July 2013, Deputy Director, 544th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK.
9. August 2013 – October 2015, Maintenance Operations Officer, 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK.
10. October 2015 – July 2016, Operations Officer, 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK.
11. July 2016 – June 2017, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
12. June 2017 – June 2020, Commander, 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Travis AFB, CA.
13. June 2020 – June 2021, Deputy Commander, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
14. June 2021 – July 2022, Maintenance Training Integrated Products Team Lead, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Washington, D.C.
15. July 2022 – June 2023, Student, Eisenhower School, Ft. McNair, DC.
16. July 2023 – July 2025, Deputy Commander, 92d Maintenance Group, Fairchild AFB, WA.
17. July 2025 – March 2026, Director, 15AF/A4
18. March 2026 – present, Commander, 23d Maintenance Group, Moody Air Force Base, GA
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
(Current as of January 2026)