Lieutenant Colonel Nelson I. Stephens, Jr. will speak at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration event at the American Museum of Science and Energy on January 17 at 9:45. The event, "The Community Speaks", is sponsored by Oak Ridge High School SECME.

Lieutenant Colonel Nelson I. Stephens, Jr. was born in Charleston, South Carolina on 17 July 1954. His family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1955 where he and his other five siblings were raised by loving and nurturing parents. In 1972 he graduated from Oak Ridge High School and matriculated at Tennessee State University for undergraduate studies in Microbiology. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Tennessee State University in 1976 and later a Masters of Science Degree in Business Administration from Boston University in 1987 while stationed overseas in Geilenkerchen Germany.

Colonel Stephens received his commission upon graduation through the United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp program and was designated to enter the Air Force as a weapons controller. (Like most people when you hear the words weapons controller one immediately thinks of bombs, bullets and guns…Lt Col Stephens included… however this is not the case for the weapons controller in the Air Force).

In 1977, he was assigned to Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida to begin Undergraduate Controller Training (UCT). After completing UCT his first duty assignment was to Elgin Air Force Base in Ft Walton Beach Florida as a 2nd Lieutenant where he learned the ways of a Tactical Warrior and leader. His unit, known as Retail control of the 728th Tactical Air Control squadron, was the closest thing the Air Force had to an Army Unit, so learning to fight while on the move (in the mud, rain and snow) was the modus operandi. (i.e. mode of operations).

After a year in the "Army Air Force", Colonel Stephens was then assigned to a remote site in Alaska 8 Miles north of the Arctic Circle. At the 709 Air Control Squadron, he along with the other members of his Air Defense Team would go hunting for bear throughout the yearlong assignment at the lone out post in our nations 49th State. But the type of "Bear" hunting was not for those grizzly creatures you see on Wild Kingdom. These bear were Soviet Bomber aircraft, which as a weapons controller Col Stephens would ensure that they did not violate Unite States Air Space or attack US cities or citizens. An Air Force Weapons Controller is responsible for directing our fighter aircraft against any enemy aircraft ensuring our protection and safety.

Colonel Stephens has continued his Air Force career progressing through the ranks and fulfilling his mission and duties to the best of his abilities. Travelling to many parts of the world and literally circling the globe numerous times his assignments include Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma and Geilenkirchen, Germany where he flew as a weapons controller in AWACS for 8 consecutive years. Next he went to McChord Air Force Base to a ground Air Defense Unit for a four-year tour with a brief relocation to the Deserts of Saudi Arabia to fight against Sadaam Hussein during DESERT STORM. The unit he was assigned to was credited with the greatest number of enemy aircraft destroyed during the entire campaign. The direction and guidance he gave to his friendly F-15 fighters helped pave the way for many successful air-to-air combat engagements during the war.

After the War in 1992 he was reassigned to NATO Headquarters in Brussels Belgium where he worked on the NATO Military Committee and the International Military Staff. And in 1995 he was assigned to Osan Air Base in Korea on a three-year tour. In his current assignment to the Joint STARS Unit at the 93 Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, he flies as a Mission Crew Commander, commanding and directing a crew of 25 Army and Air Force personnel in the performance of battle field support to Joint military units.

He is the recipient of both the Defense and Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Force Achievement Medal. His professional military education includes Squadron Officer School in-residence, Air Command and Staff College and Air War College by seminar

Colonel Stephens is married to the former Veda Geraldine Hargrove. They have two sons Adam Jason (24) who resides in Tacoma Washington and Terry Hugh (12). They also have two grandsons AJ (6) and Micah (9 months).

EDUCATION:

1972 High School Diploma, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge TN
1976 Bachelor of Science in Microbiology Tennessee State University, Nashville TN
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Al
1986 Air Command and Staff College (Seminar)

1987 Masters of Science Business Administration, Boston University, Overseas Campus Heidelburg Germany
1993 Air War College (Seminar)

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Feb 1977; Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City FL Undergraduate Controller Training

2. Aug 1977-Aug 1978; 709 Air Control Squadron, Ft Yukon AK

3. Oct 1978- Sep 1984, 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing (AWACS) Tinker Air Force Base, OK

4. Oct 1984-Sep 1988 E-3A Component (NATO AWACS) Geilenkirchen Germany

5. Sep 1988-Aug 1992, McChord Air Force Base Tacoma WA

6. DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM Nov 1990-May 1991

7. Aug 1992 – Oct 1995 NATO Headquarters International Military Staff Brussels, Belgium

8. Oct 1995- Sept 1998 Osan Air Base South Korea

9. Sep 1998-present, Director of Personnel, 93d Operations Group, 93 Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base GA

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal

And the Air Force Achievement Medal
Tactical Air Command Aircrew of Distinction