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Richard Fife

@richardfife

Operations leader at U.S. Air Force who improved mission-critical maintenance productivity by 19%.

At the 90th Civil Engineer Squadron, I lead 388 engineers and technicians responsible for utilities, maintenance, emergency response, and construction supporting ICBM operations. I support four major construction programs valued at $2.6B while keeping operating facilities running.

At the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron, I rebuilt the operating rhythm of a reactive organization by overhauling work scheduling, cleaning up asset data, and shifting to preventive maintenance. Productivity rose 19%, emergency calls fell 42%, and the squadron moved from last to first in Pacific Air Forces.

Earlier, I led operations across 43 remote sites in Alaska and the Pacific, and oversaw critical infrastructure supporting 22 launches at Vandenberg. I started as an HVAC/R journeyman and hold a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, PMP, NFPA 70E, OSHA 30, and an active TS/SCI clearance.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Enlisted Leader (Operations Executive)

Current

U.S. Air Force

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 9 months)

Lead 388 engineers and technicians across seven operating units supporting ICBM operations, 5,400 facilities, and 6.4 million acres. Led recovery after a major hailstorm, assessing 963 facilities within 96 hours and identifying approximately $120M in requirements.

Operations Management Maintenance Emergency Response Construction Leadership Facilities Management

Acting Group Superintendent (Group Operations Executive)

U.S. Air Force

Jan 2025 - Dec 2026 (1 year 11 months)

Integrated priorities across engineering, communications, contracting, logistics, and support organizations totaling more than 1,300 personnel, $54M in operating funds, and $2.9B in assets. Set operating rhythms that clarified decisions, owners, and follow-through.

Operations Management Leadership Budget Management Cross functional Coordination

Group Superintendent (Operations Executive)

U.S. Air Force

Jan 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 years 11 months)

Led 190 personnel sustaining 43 remote sites across Alaska and the Pacific, including 18 long-range radar sites, with $7.2B in assets. Escalated obsolete long-lead radar parts and pre-positioned spares, and drove a $20M communications diversity effort.

Operations Management Remote Site Management Logistics Asset Management Communication Skills

Superintendent (Infrastructure Operations Executive)

U.S. Air Force

Jan 2015 - Dec 2018 (3 years 11 months)

Led 312 personnel and a $33.8M annual work program. Documented approximately $87M in maintenance contractor deficiencies and directed 66 in-house repairs, saving about $3.3M.

Operations Management Contract Management Maintenance Budget Management Leadership