Riehl takes command of Civil Engineer Squadron

  • Published
  • By Jake Shaw
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Maj. William S. Riehl, III, assumed command of the 482nd Civil Engineer Squadron in a ceremony here February 11.

Col. Dennis Daley, 482nd Mission Support Group commander, presided over the ceremony.

Major Riehl takes over from Lt. Col. Mark Wolfe, who is retiring after commanding the civil engineers for the past six years.

As the commander of the 482nd CES, Major Riehl will oversee the engineering, fire protection, readiness and explosive ordnance disposal forces and their support of regional conflict or humanitarian missions worldwide. In addition to preparing his squadron for missions, the major says he must also "perform the daily functions that keep the doors open and the lights on at the squadron."

"My job is to get out in front, set the pace and clear any obstacles that prevent my Airmen from doing their best," he said.

For the past six years, Major Riehl has been the operations officer for the 482nd CES; prior to that he served as 482nd Communications Squadron officer in charge of mobile communications.

Major Riehl, originally from Abington, Pa., began his military career as a military policeman in the Army Reserve. He later transferred to the Air Force Reserve and became a heavy equipment operator at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. He was commissioned in 1990 through the Deserving Airman Commissioning program.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and a master's in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida. The major is also a licensed professional engineer in Florida and Wyoming.

In his remarks to welcome the new commander, Colonel Daley said that Major Riehl's diverse background and experience at all levels in CE will help him relate well to the 120-plus Airmen under his command. Colonel Daley added that the cornerstone of the CE mission is to deploy worldwide on a moment's notice to provide operational support, and Major Riehl has proven that he is a superb leader for that mission.

In fact, Major Riehl's initiative and leadership have gained widespread notice here at Homestead. In 2005, he was the project officer in charge of Operation New Horizons, a humanitarian assistance operation that built schools and medical clinics in a poor region of El Salvador while military doctors treated patients from the local area.

Major Riehl's military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Reserve Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

Looking to the future, the major sees many challenges for the CES.

"The Global War on Terror has caused our training requirements for CE to grow, but we still have only 39 days per year to fulfill those requirements. At the same time, shrinking budgets limit our availability to perform non-training tasks, so we must be innovative and use training opportunities wherever we can so that our Airmen are always prepared," he said.

But Major Riehl believes his unit will be successful if they follow his philosophy.

"It's all about personal responsibility. We all know what we need to do, not only to execute our duties but also to prepare our subordinates to execute their duties," he said.

Colonel Wolfe also had some advice and encouragement for the troops.

"Always remember that the tasks you perform here and worldwide are vital to the Air Force mission. You build airfields and tent cities, rescue people from burning buildings and prepare for the disasters of our nightmares. And you always leave your mark of excellence when you deploy. I know our CES family is in good hands with Major Riehl," he said.