Allen assumes command of the 552nd Training Group.
Photo By Garrett Cole |
Members of the Tinker Air Force Base Honor Guard prepare to present the colors during......read moreread more
Photo By Garrett Cole | Members of the Tinker Air Force Base Honor Guard prepare to present the colors during the 552nd Training Group change of command ceremony June 22, 2026, at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The ceremony marked the transfer of command from Col. James R. Ord to Col. Terrance S. Allen. see less
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Allen assumes command of the 552nd Training Group.
Allen assumes command of the 552nd Training Group.
By Garrett Cole
552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — Surrounded by the symbols of air battle management, the American flag, an E-3 aircraft, and the Airmen responsible for shaping the future of command and control, the 552nd Training Group marked the close of one chapter and the beginning of another during a change of command ceremony June 22 at Tinker Air Force Base.
Col. Terrance S. Allen assumed command of the 552nd TRG from Col. James R. Ord during the ceremony, which was presided over by Col. Kendrick L. Carroll, 552nd Air Control Wing commander.
"What a phenomenal day to celebrate leadership, heritage, and the incredible Airmen who make our dominance possible," Carroll said. "We couldn't ask for a better backdrop today. We're surrounded by the symbols of our trade, the flag, and, most importantly, the men and women of the 552nd Training Group who turn raw potential into combat capability."
The ceremony followed a time-honored military tradition representing the continuity of command. For the 552nd TRG, that tradition carries added weight as the group continues to train Airmen for the Air Force's command-and-control enterprise amid rapid modernization and high operational demand.
Carroll praised Ord's leadership throughout what he described as a demanding and dynamic command tour, one that included a short-notice deployment, an unexpected extension, and the continued execution of the group's training mission at home.
"When the call came for a short-notice deployment to serve as the battle director, Ord did not hesitate," Carroll said. "He poured everything he had into that mission and into the fight."
Before relinquishing command, Ord received the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service as commander of the 552nd TRG from June 28, 2024, to June 22, 2026. During his tenure, the group completed a $28 million combined simulation building, restarted portions of the E-3 crew training pipeline, advanced training for the Control and Reporting Center, and supported combat requirements despite reductions in personnel, aircraft, and training devices.
Even with those challenges, the group did not slow down.
Under Ord's leadership, the 552nd TRG eliminated a student backlog that had stretched more than two years, allowing Airmen to move through training and into operational units where they were needed. Carroll said some graduates were sent from training into real-world missions almost immediately.
"Some of our Airmen, their first sortie without an instructor over their shoulder was as they were crossing the pond, headed into combat," Carroll said. "That's because of the training group under Ord's leadership."
Ord used his final remarks as commander to shift the spotlight from himself to the instructors, civilians, students, and support personnel who carried the mission forward.
"The most important guests today are the men and women of the 552nd Air Control Wing, specifically the outstanding instructor cadre from the 552nd Training Group," Ord said.
The 552nd TRG includes the 552nd Training Support Squadron, known as the Griffins, the 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron, known as the Eagles, and the 436th Training Squadron, known as the Mustangs. Together, the squadrons train Airmen across the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, the Control and Reporting Center, and several critical support disciplines.
Ord said the group's accomplishments were rooted in a simple but serious purpose.
"We did all those things because the group's priority mission and slogan is, 'Si vis pacem, para bellum,'" Ord said. "If you want peace, prepare for war."
That preparation was not abstract. Ord said that graduates of the training group supported combat operations soon after completing their courses, including in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Southern Command areas of responsibility.
"Instructors from the Griffins, Eagles, and Mustangs prepared their students with the knowledge and skills to effectively execute the most critical, life-saving, and life-taking missions," Ord said. "All of you should be very proud."
As Allen took command, Carroll said the Air Force had placed the right leader in the right place at the right time.
"Your reputation precedes you," Carroll said. "Your deep operational background makes you perfectly suited to lead this group into the next chapter."
Allen entered the Air Force in January 2006 through the ROTC program at Brigham Young University. He previously commanded the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron at Tinker and most recently served as chief of the Integrated Operations Division, Joint Staff J-33, at the Pentagon.
Allen thanked the Airmen of the group, the ceremony team, community partners, leaders, friends, and his family before turning his attention to the responsibility ahead.
"To the TRG, continue executing at the high standard Colonel Ord demanded of you," Allen said. "Rules are written in the blood of those who came before us and who forged the path forward."
He reminded the group that training is more than a requirement. It is a responsibility owed to the Airmen who will carry the mission into future conflicts, and to the families who trust the Air Force to prepare them.
"Our nation's most precious resource is the young men and women who step up to serve their communities and give back," Allen said. "We owe it to the parents who entrust their sons and daughters to us to prepare them to go to war, win our nation's battles, and equip them with the skills to come home."
Following the change of command, Allen's name was placed on E-3 aircraft 78-0577, continuing the Air Force tradition of identifying a commander's aircraft.
For Allen, the ceremony was not simply about assuming command. It was about accepting responsibility for preparing the next generation of command-and-control professionals for a fight that continues to evolve.
"Every day is an opportunity to serve those to our left and our right," Allen said. "Every day is an opportunity to prepare ourselves and our students to be ready when the nation calls."
Then, in his first charge to the group as commander, Allen gave the Airmen a simple direction.
