VIRGINIA — Air Force Colonel Neal Van Houten has assumed command of the 1st Maintenance Group during a ceremony held at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.

As the Group Commander, he directs the efforts of 1,400 aircraft maintenance and munitions Airmen to enable the 1st Fighter Wing’s readiness for rapid, worldwide deployment while ensuring long-term fleet health and combat capability of 56 F-22 Raptor aircraft.

The Colonel was previously promoted in September 2020 and was the Combat Aircraft Division Chief in the Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Combat Command where he led A-10, F-15 and F-16 Weapons systems teams in directing the modernization and sustainment of over 2,000 Combat Air Forces fighter aircraft valued at over $100 billion.

Colonel Van Houten is a 1995 graduate of Tri-Valley Central School, received his bachelor’s in 1999 from Villanova University and his Master’s in 2007 from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is married to the former Mary Holt of Rupert, GA with whom he has two children, Delanie and Easton. He is the son of Suzann and Brian Van Houten of Hurleyville.