Colonel Abigail L. W. Ruscetta is the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. She leads nearly 3,000 Airmen and is responsible for $5.4 billion in resources and a $311 million operating budget. She provides installation support for over 27,000 personnel assigned to the Headquarters Air Force Sustainment Center, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, 552nd Air Control Wing, Navy Strategic Communications Wing One, 507th Air Refueling Wing, 448th Supply Chain Management Wing and 45 other associate units including the Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Information Systems Agency, Defense Finance and Accounting Service and 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group. The 72nd ABW enables numerous critical missions at Tinker AFB, the largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma.
Ruscetta earned her commission in 1997 through the U.S. Air Force Academy. She is a 26-year Aircraft Maintenance Officer, served as the Commander of the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, served as the Commander of the 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, and worked in various Aircraft Maintenance assignments including the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, the 1st Special Operations Wing in Hurlburt Field, Florida, and the C-5 Depot line at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Robins AFB, Georgia. She is a graduate of the Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and earned her master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Ruscetta served on both the Special Operations Command Staff and the Air Staff and is a fully qualified joint officer. She graduated from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University, and was recently the Vice Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. As the Vice Commander, she assisted the Commander leading a team of over 10,500 military and civilian professionals delivering combat power for America. The complex performs programmed depot maintenance and modifications on KC-135, B-1B, B-52, E-3, KC-46, and Navy E6 aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul for F100, F101, F108, F110, F117, F118, F119, F135, TF33 engines, and a wide variety of commodities for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and foreign military sales.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
1997 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, TX
2003 Master of Science in Logistics Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2005 Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, TX
2005 Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer Course, Nellis Air Force Base, NV
2007 Air Command and Staff College (by correspondence)
2008 Level I Certification in Program Management
2008 USAF Intern Program, Washington, D.C.
2013 Air War College (by correspondence)
2015 Level II Certification in Acquisitions Logistics
2018 Master of Science in National Security Strategy, Eisenhower School, Ft McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1997 – July 2000, Flight Commander, 52nd Logistics Support Squadron, Sortie Support Flight Commander, 22nd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
2. July 2000 – July 2001, Sortie Support Flight Commander, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea
3. July 2001 – March 2003, Graduate Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright–Patterson Air Force Base, OH
4. March 2003 – August 2005, Flight Chief, C-5 Depot Line, WR-ALC Executive Officer, Robins AFB, GA
5. August 2005 – July 2008,Officer in Charge, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Maintenance Operations Officer, Component Maintenance Squadron and 1st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL (1 SOW)
6. July 2008 – July 2010, Air Force Intern, Congressional Liaison, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. July 2010 – July 2012, Commander, 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Hill AFB, UT
8. July 2012 – July 2015, J4, Special Operations Command, Central Command, and Acquisitions Logistics Branch Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL
9. July 2015 – July 2017, 5th Generation Branch Chief, HAF/A4L, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. July 2017 – July 2018, Graduate Student, The Eisenhower School, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
11. July 2018 – June 2020,Commander, 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, OK
12. June 2020 – May 2021,Vice Director, Logistics Directorate, Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, OK
13. May 2021 – July 2023, Vice Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, OK
14. July 2023 – Present, Commander, 72nd Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, OK
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
2006 Air Force General Lew Allen Jr. Trophy
2005 AFMC Female Athlete of the Year
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1997
First Lieutenant May 28, 1999
Captain May 28, 2001
Major Nov. 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2011
Colonel March 1, 2018
(Current as of July 2023)