Col. Daniel L. Wester is the commander of the 28th Maintenance Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. He directs all flightline and heavy maintenance efforts of the 28th Bomb Wing to ensure the readiness of Ellsworth's B-1B Lancer bombers to support daily flying activities, exercises, deployments, and wartime taskings. He oversees the production of a 1,500-person group with four squadrons and is responsible for aerospace and munitions maintenance, wing sortie production, fleet management, standardization and maintenance discipline.

Col. Wester entered the Air Force in 2001 as a graduate of the University of Missouri – Rolla. He served as a recruiter prior to September 2001, then attended Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training (JSUNT) at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, receiving his Aeronautical Rating as a Navigator in 2003. He has subsequently served in a variety of B-1 operational assignments as a B-1B Instructor & Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer and Aircraft Maintenance Officer, including tours on the Wing Special Staff, Operations Support Squadron, Maintenance Squadron Command, and Deputy Maintenance Group Command.

He is a Joint Qualified Officer with Joint Staff, Professional Military Education assignments, and operational experience in a variety of joint and interagency missions. His staff assignments include Joint Forces Component Command for Global Strike under United States Strategic Command as Chief of Conventional Weaponeering (J53 and J35) and Chief of the Commanders Action Group.

A master navigator and master maintainer, he has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours, including 1,830 combat hours as part of 156 combat missions, supporting Continuous Bomber Presence in Southeast Asia, Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn aviation and ground taskings.

Prior to his current assignment he served as the Director of Logistics and Force Protection, 8th Air Force & Air Forces Strategic – Air, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and was responsible for logistics, maintenance, and force protection efforts in support of B-1, B-2, B-52, and E-4B deployments worldwide.

EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of History, University of Missouri, Rolla, Mo.
2003 Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Master of Emergency and Disaster Management, Touro University, Valhalla, N.Y.
2013 Master of Military Operational Arts and Sciences, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 JPME Phase II, NSA Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Va.
2018 Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2020 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2023 Air Component Senior Leader Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2001–October 2001, Recruiter, ROTC Detachment 442, University of Missouri - Rolla, Rolla, Mo.
2. November 2001–April 2003, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla.
3. May 2003–November 2003, Student, Electronic Warfare Officer course, Randolph AFB, Texas
4. November 2003–July 2004, B-1B Initial flight training, Dyess AFB, Texas
5. August 2004–July 2012, B-1B Weapons Systems Officer/Instructor/Evaluator, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
6. August 2012–June 2013, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. July 2013–June 2015, Chief, Conventional Kinetic Strike Branch, JFCC GS/J53, Offutt AFB, Neb. 
8. July 2015–May 2016, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, JFCC GS, Offutt AFB, Neb. 
9. June 2016–August 2017, Deputy Inspector General, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB S.D. 
10. August 2017–May 2018, Director of Operations, 28th Operations Support Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 
11. June 2018–April 2021, Commander, 28th Maintenance Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 
12. April 2021–April 2022, Deputy Commander, 28th Maintenance Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 
13. May 2022–June 2023, Special Assistant to the Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 
14. July 2023–June 2025, Director, Logistics & Force Protection, 8AF/AFSTRAT, Barksdale AFB, La.
15. June 2025–Present, Commander, 28th Maintenance Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master navigator
Flight Hours: More than 2,800 including 1,830 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: B-1B, T-1, T-34, T-39, T-43 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 19, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major July 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 1, 2016
Colonel Oct. 1, 2022

(Current as of June 2025)