908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Welcomes New Commander
The commander of the 908th Maintenance Group, Lt. Col. Stuart Martin, transferred command of the 908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron to Maj. Manuel de Diego during an Assumption of Command ceremony July 9, 2022 at Maxwell Air Force Base.
Before acquiring the position of the 908 AMXS commander, de Diego served as the aviation maintenance officer of the 908 AMXS. Prior to that, he served as the aviation maintenance officer of the 168th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from December 10, 2020, to December 19, 2021.
“Since I arrived in December, my team of senior noncommissioned officers has shown me nothing less than exceptional dedication to duty, professionalism, and leadership,” de Diego asserted. Any commander would be proud to have every one of you on their team.”
During the ceremony, Martin spoke about the challenges members may face as the 908 AW embarks on a new mission.
“I want all of us to work hard and recognize hard work,” said Martin. ”We will do that through fellowship, camaraderie, decorations and awards.”
From his most recent deployment to Guam in 2019, de Diego was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his outstanding achievement as maintenance operations officer of the 36th Expeditionary Aerospace Maintenance Squadron. He has also deployed multiple times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
With the wealth of experience he brings, he didn't accomplish it on his own and gave a special shout out to previous 908 MXG commander, Col. Gregory Halen.
“I would like to thank Col. Halen for bringing me on board in December and providing me with this incredible opportunity, your trust in me has been inspiring,” said de Diego.
As the ceremony came to a close, de Diego expressed his gratitude for being the new squadron commander. He also explained how proud he was to be a part of the team and conveyed his commitment in leading the command to the best of his ability.
“I remember for every game, former Bills head coach Marv Levy said to his team ‘When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us.’ and to me that sums up the 908 AMXS in a nutshell,” said de Diego, a New York native and longtime Buffalo Bills fan. “No matter what happens, you just get the job done.”
