Lt. Col. Albert L. Knapp IV is the Commander, 914th Maintenance Group, 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. Lt. Col. Knapp is responsible for training airmen and providing resources, equipment and infrastructure to produce safe and reliable KC-135 aircraft to meet air refueling requirements worldwide.
Lt. Col. Knapp enlisted in December 1989 and completed technical school at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi in November 1990 to work as a guidance and control systems specialist on the MH-53J, MH-53J/M, KC-135R and C-130. Lt. Col. Knapp later graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida and earned his commission as a distinguished graduate at the Academy of Military Science at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee, in November 2002. He’s served as a logistics readiness officer, installation deployment officer and deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan as the logistics operations officer before returning to the maintenance field as a maintenance operations officer in June 2010. Lt. Col. Knapp has commanded two maintenance squadrons and served as the branch chief for Air Force Reserve Command’s aircraft maintenance branch in the logistics, engineering and force protection directorate. His military career spans across 30 years of active and reserve service.
Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Col. Knapp was the Deputy Commander for the 914th Maintenance Group where he was responsible for training and equipping two squadrons to maintain eight KC-135s during a mission transition. He also holds a Federal Aviation Administration’s Airframe and Powerplant license.
EDUCATION
1994 Airman Leadership School, Royal Air Force Upwood, United Kingdom
1996 Associate of Avionics Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
1998 Bachelor of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
2002 Academy of Military Science, Distinguished Graduate, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.
2003 Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Aircraft Maintenance Officers Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Masters of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., by correspondence
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1990 – December 1992, Guidance and Control Systems Specialist, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
2. December 1992 – January 1995, Guidance and Control Systems Specialist, Royal Air Force Alconbury, United Kingdom
3. January 1995 – October 1996, Guidance and Control Systems Specialist, Altus AFB, Okla.
4. October 1996 – July 2000, Guidance and Control Systems Specialist, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. February 2001 – November 2002, Guidance and Control Systems Specialist, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y.
6. November 2002 – June 2006, Logistics Readiness Officer, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
7. June 2006 – October 2008, Operations Officer, 914th Maintenance Squadron, Niagara Falls, NY
8. October 2008 – October 2009, Installation Deployment Officer, Director of Logistics Plans and Squadron Operations Officer, 914th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
9. October 2009 – May 2010, Logistics Readiness Squadron Operations Officer, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
10. June 2010 – February 2013, Maintenance Operations Officer, 752nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
11. February 2013 – May 2014, Commander, 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
12. May 2014 – July 2016, Aircraft Maintenance Branch and Executive Officer, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. July 2016 – July 2018, Commander, 58th Maintenance Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
14. July 2018 – August 2019, Branch Chief, Aircraft Maintenance Branch, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
15. August 2019 – September 2020, Deputy Commander, 914th Maintenance Group, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
16. September 2020 – May 2022, Commander, 914th Maintenance Group, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
17. May 2022 - present, Commander, 94th Airlift Wing, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit with “V” device and three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Medal with one bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long
AF Training Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal with bronze star
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Staff Sergeant Jan. 1, 1998
Second Lieutenant Nov. 22, 2002
First Lieutenant Nov. 22, 2004
Captain Jan. 17, 2007
Major March 14, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 31, 2018
(Current as of May 2022)