PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- After 30 years in uniform, Col. Greg Meyer knows one thing for certain: the mission doesn’t happen without Mission Support.
Now leading the 302d Airlift Wing’s Mission Support Group, Meyer brings decades of logistics and command experience to a role he describes as both foundational and occasionally overlooked. Just over a month into the job, he’s already focused on what matters most, preparing Airmen for the realities of tomorrow’s fight.
“I love working with our Airmen,” Meyer expressed. “They always amaze me with what they can do to accomplish the mission.”
Originally from Cincinnati, Meyer commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Cincinnati and spent 11 years on active duty before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve. His career has spanned logistics, deployed operations, and command positions across multiple installations, culminating in previous group command and director-level roles.
When the opportunity to lead again came up, this time in Colorado, it was an easy decision.
“It was two perfect things,” he said smiling. “I enjoy group command, and I’ve always loved coming out here.”
While the flying mission often takes center stage, Meyer is quick to point out that none of it works without the foundation beneath it.
The Mission Support Group includes logistics, aerial port, civil engineering, security forces, force support, and communications, each playing a critical role in keeping operations running at home and downrange.
“We don’t fly the planes. We don’t fix the planes, and we don’t perform medical” Meyer said. “But we do everything else – and there’s a lot more of everything else!”
That “everything else” is what makes MSG the backbone of the wing. From fueling aircraft and securing installations to maintaining accountability and supporting deployed forces, the group touches every part of the mission.
“If we fail, the mission’s going to fail,” Meyer said emphatically.
Much of that work happens behind the scenes. Meyer recalls a moment during an air show when an operator told him, ‘I never knew how much the MSG does.’
For Meyer, MSG is not the most visible, but that’s the reality of mission support: quiet, constant, and essential.
Looking ahead, Meyer’s focus isn’t just on sustaining the mission; it’s on preparing for a different kind of fight.
After more than two decades of operations in relatively predictable environments, he believes the next conflict will demand far more adaptability and resilience from Airmen, especially those in mission support roles.
“So that begs the question, are my Airmen ready,” Meyer said.
To answer that, he’s thinking beyond traditional training. Meyer envisions immersive, high-pressure exercises designed specifically for mission support Airmen, scenarios in which plans change mid-mission, leadership is removed, and junior personnel must step up in real time.
“The first inject might be on the aircraft,” he mused. “You’re told your base is gone, you’re redirected, and now you have to figure it out. That’s the kind of environment we need to be training for.”
These exercises would reflect the realities of Agile Combat Support, Meyer asserted, operating in unfamiliar locations, supporting multiple aircraft types, and responding to unpredictable threats.
“We have to be ready for things we’re not used to,” he said. “That’s where the growth happens.”
Just as critical as mission readiness is leader readiness.
Meyer believes one of the Air Force’s biggest challenges is preparing Airmen for leadership roles before they step into them. Too often, he said, individuals are expected to perform at the next level without the experience to support it.
Drawing from his own career, Meyer emphasized the importance of building that experience early, giving Airmen opportunities to develop the skills and confidence needed to lead effectively.
His approach is deliberately preparation through education, communication, and real-world experience.
He’s a strong advocate for professional reading, encouraging Airmen to start small.
“Read five pages a day,” he suggested. “It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up.”
He also emphasizes communication as a critical leadership skill, pointing to public speaking programs to help Airmen build confidence speaking in front of others.
But for Meyer, experience is the real teacher, and that means giving Airmen opportunities to lead before they feel ready.
“People aren’t fully ready for the role until after they’ve done it,” he said pointedly. “So we have to give them those opportunities and let them fail. It sounds counterintuitive but failures in practice are stepping stones to future successes.
That mindset shapes his leadership style. Rather than dictating solutions, Meyer collaborates with commanders, chiefs, and NCOs to identify gaps, analyze real-world threats, and develop training that reflects current conditions.
In previous roles, that approach led to more complex, realistic training, from joint exercises with Army units to squadron-led initiatives that pushed Airmen outside their comfort zones.
“I didn’t tell them what to do,” he said. “I gave them the information and let them run with it.”
That approach is especially important in the Reserves, where Airmen bring both their military and civilian career experiences to create a unique advantage to support the mission.
Balancing military service with civilian careers, education, and family life, Reserve Airmen often develop adaptability, problem-solving skills, and real-world experience that directly translates to mission success.
“Over 80 percent of our force are traditional Reservists,” Meyer said. “And they still find a way to execute at a very high level.”
For Meyer, that blend of civilian expertise and military training is a strength, not a limitation. The challenge is ensuring those Airmen get the right exposure and opportunities to grow despite limited time on station.
Only weeks into his command, Meyer is still learning the group, but his priorities are clear: strengthen the foundation, prepare for future conflict, and develop Airmen who are ready for more.
“MSG is the foundation. If we’re not strong, nothing else works,” he asserted.