Col Rofelio Grinston is the Commander, 5th Maintenance Group, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota. As Commander, he leads over 1,700 Airmen tasked to provide aircraft and munitions maintenance support for a fleet of 27 B-52 aircraft and a munitions stockpile valued at over $6 billion. Colonel Grinston ensures a heightened state of readiness for Airmen under his command to support both global conventional and Emergency War Order mission taskings anywhere, anytime.
Col Grinston entered the military in 1984 as a Naval Aviation Electronics Technician. After 16 years of Naval service, he was commissioned in the Air Force in 2000 through Officer Training School. He has led military and civilian Airmen in eight Air Force Major Commands to include: Global Strike Command, United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces Command, Air Force Material Command, as well as Air Force Central Command. He oversaw the maintenance of the Minuteman III/Peacekeeper ICBMs and various weapon systems (B-1, B-2, B-52, E-4, E-3, F-16, C-17, KC-135 and UH-1 aircraft).
Deployed operations include: Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; Resolute Support. Additionally, he served as Maintenance Exchange Officer to the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
Prior to his current position, Col Grinston, was the Military Deputy Program Executive Officer's for the Rapid Sustainment Office, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He was responsible for leading a lean organization to rapidly field sustainment capabilities by leveraging mature, new, and emerging technologies at the speed of relevance to improve mission readiness and reduce Air Force sustainment costs.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronatical University, Daytona Beach, FL
2004 Jet Engine Mishap Investigation Course, Sheppard AFB, TX
2005 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirkland AFB, NM
2006 Squadron Officer School. resident, Maxwell AFB, AL
2009 Master of Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
2010 Air Command and Staff College, correspondence
2019 Air War College, correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1.September 2000–June 2003, OIC, Electro Mechanical Team; OIC, Missile Maintenance Ops Center; Munitions Accountable Systems Officer 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA
2.November 2003-June 2004, Flight Commander, Maintenance Flight, 5th Maintenance Squadron, Minot AFB, ND
3.June 2004-June 2005, Asst Officer-in-Charge, Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Minot, ND
4.June 2005-June 2006, Officer-in-Charge, Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Minot, ND
5.September 2006-June 2008, Exchange Officer, Air Force Element Personnel Exchange Program, Quality Assurance Policy Division, Aircraft Maintenance Directorate, Headquarters Royal Jordanian Air Force, Azraq, Amman Jordan
6.June 2008-June 2010, Executive Officer, Operations Officer, 15th Maintenance Group, Hickam, HI
7.June 2010- September 2011, Deputy Chief, Maintenance Insp Div, HQ Pacific Forces Inspection General, Hickam, HI
8.June 2011-June 2013, Commander, 6th Maintenance Operations Squadron, MacDill AFB, FL
9.June 2013-July 2015, Commander, 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, UK
10.July 2015-July 2017, Chief, Aircraft Sustainment Branch, HQ Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
11.July 2017-August 2018, Deputy Commander, 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, Tinker AFB, OK
12.August 2018-July 2021, Deputy Commander, 76th Commodities Maintenance Group, Tinker AFB, OK
13.July 2021-June 2023, PEO Military Deputy, Rapid Sustainment Office, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
14.June 2023-Present, Commander, 5th Maintenance Group, Minot AFB, ND
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Navy Achievement Medal with 2 gold stars
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006/2014 Maintenance Effectiveness Award. Air Force
2014 General Leo Marquez Award, Air Forces in Europe Command 2017 Robert T. Mason Award, Department of Defense
2021 Acquisitions Level 1 - Life Cycle Logistics
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Logistics Officers Association, National Member
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 18, 2000
First Lieutenant August 18, 2002
Captain August 18, 2004
Major August 18, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2015
Colonel December 1, 2022
(Current as of June 2023)