Lieutenant Colonel John J. Valdes III is 434th Maintenance Group Commander at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana. He directs overall mission accomplishment for the largest KC-135R Stratotanker group in the Air Force Reserve Command. The 434th Maintenance Group is manned by 519 personnel that conduct on and off equipment maintenance supporting two flying squadrons, operating 16 aircraft.
Lieutenant Colonel Valdes was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in June 2000 as a graduate from Northern Illinois University. He held numerous positions including Maintenance Officer-In-Charge, Flight Commander and Program Manager while on active duty. In September 2010, he joined the Air Force Reserve with the 931st Maintenance Squadron and transferred to the 434th Maintenance Squadron in April 2011, serving in both locations as a Flight Commander. In January 2013, he became the Quality Assurance Officer-In-Charge. Lieutenant Colonel Valdes became the 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander in August 2015. In October 2020, he became the 434th Maintenance Group Deputy Commander. In January 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Valdes deployed for 191 days as the Air Force Central Command A4 Liaison in the Combined Air Operations Center in Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. In February 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Valdes served 180-days as Air Mobility Operations Group Deputy Commander at Yokota Air Base, Japan. In February 2025, he became the 434th Maintenance Group Commander.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
2001 Aerospace Basic School (In Residence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2004 Master of Science in International Management, Troy State University, Troy, AL
2006 Squadron Officer School (In Residence)
2019 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2022 Air War College (Correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1.July 2000 – July 2001, Officer-in-Charge, Periodic Maintenance, 341st Maintenance Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT
2.July 2001 – November 2002, Officer-in-Charge, Plans & Scheduling, 341st Logistics Support Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT
3.November 2002 – September 2003, Officer-in-Charge, Team Training, 341st Maintenance Operations Squadron, MalmstromAFB, MT
4.September 2003 – June 2004, Maintenance Flight Commander, 18th Munitions Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
5.June 2004 – June 2006, Production Flight Commander, 18th Munitions Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
6.June 2006 – September 2006, Materiel Flight Commander, 18th Munitions Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
7.September 2006 – November 2006, Chief, Ground Trainers, 526th Sustainment Group, Hill AFB, UT
8.November 2006 – January 2008, Program Manager Crypto Upgrade, 526th Sustainment Group, Hill AFB, UT
9. January 2008 – September 2010, Inactive Ready Reserve
10. September 2010 – April 2011, Maintenance Officer, 931st Maintenance Squadron, McConnell AFB, KS
11. April 2011 – January 2013, Maintenance Flight Commander, 434th Maintenance Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
12. January 2013 – August 2015, Officer-In-Charge, Quality Assurance, 434th Maintenance Group, Grissom ARB, IN (September – December 2013, Officer-In-Charge, 379th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
13. August 2015 – October 2020, Commander, 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Grissom ARB, IN
14. October 2020 – February 2025, Deputy Commander, 434th Maintenance Group, Grissom ARB, IN (January – July 2022, A4 Liaison Officer, Directorate of Logistics, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar) (February – July 2024, Deputy Commander, 515th Air Mobility Operations Group, Yokota AB, Japan)
15. February 2025 – Present, Commander, 434th Maintenance Group, Grissom ARB, IN
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” device
Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Long
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Longevity Service with four oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass device and “M” device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Pistol)
Air and Space Training Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 11, 2000
First Lieutenant June 11, 2002
Captain June 11, 2004
Major October 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel September 3, 2019
(Current as of April 2025)