Colonel Matthew J. Burger is commander, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, California. As commander of the Air Force Reserve’s largest wing, with more than 4,000 personnel, nine C-17As and 14 KC-135Rs, he directs the support of worldwide airlift and air refueling operations. Colonel Burger is also responsible for the daily operations of March Air Reserve Base which supports active duty, National Guard and Reserve tenants from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines as well as Department of Homeland Security personnel with the Air and Marine Operations Center.
Colonel Burger began his career upon graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1990 followed by undergraduate helicopter training at Ft. Rucker Army Airfield, Alabama. He served on active-duty as an HH-1 instructor pilot and chief of safety with the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. After nearly 10 years on active duty, he joined the Air Force Reserve with the 301st Rescue Squadron, Patrick AFB, Florida. Colonel Burger has held numerous leadership and command positions, most recently as chief, Programs and Requirements Division, Office of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, District of Columbia. A career instructor pilot and evaluator, the colonel is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours in the C-17, KC-135, HH-60G, HH-1H, and T-1.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Science degree, Human Factors Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1992 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, N.M.
2008 Air Force Chief of Safety Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M
2010 Maintenance Course for Operational Commanders, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2010 Mobility Commanders Tactics Course, St. Joseph Air National Guard Base, Mo.
2012 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education (JPME-II), JQO level III certified, Norfolk, Va.
2012 Director of Mobility Forces, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2013 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
2014 Master of Business Administration degree, Trident University, Cypress, Calif.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1990 – June 1991, Undergraduate Helicopter Training, 3588th Flight Training Squadron, Ft. Rucker, Ala.
2. June 1991 – April 1995, chief of Safety and instructor pilot, 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron,
Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
3. April 1995 – February 1998, chief of Current Operations and Squadron Standardization and Evaluation instructor pilot, 66th Combat Rescue Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
4. February 1998 – December 1999, chief of group Standardization and Evaluation, 85th Operations Group, Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland
5. December 1999 - November 2005, chief of Standardization and Evaluation and assistant director of Operations, 301st Rescue Squadron, Patrick AFB, Fla.
6. November 2005 – September 2007, Combat Rescue functional manager, Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
7. September 2007 – September 2009, chief of Safety, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
8. September 2009 – July 2010, director of Operations, 459th Operations Support Flight, JB Andrews, Md.
9. July 2010 – November 2011, commander, 459th Operations Group, JB Andrews, Md.
10. November 2011 – January 2013, commander, 349th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
11. January 2013 – August 2015, commander, 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
12. August 2015 – July 2017, chief, Programs and Requirements Division, Office of the Air Force Reserve, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2017 – present, commander, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,300 hours
Aircraft flown: T-1, UH-1, HH-1, HH-60G, KC-135R and C-17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with three silver oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air Force Longevity Service Award with four oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 'M' Device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle)
Air Force Training Ribbon
Jolly Green Association Rescue of the Year 1996
ACC Flight Safety Award of Distinction
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, May 30, 1990
First Lieutenant, May 30, 1992
Captain, May 30, 1994
Major, April 25, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel, August 17, 2006
Colonel, March 2, 2011
(Current as of July 2017)