Intel officer leads ASU ROTC

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Angelo State University ROTC Detachment 847 bid farewell to Col. Mike Buck this summer and welcomed Lt. Col. Stephen W. Magnan as the detachment's new commander.

Magnan is an intelligence officer, prior enlisted troop and graduate of Angelo State University. His predecessor, Colonel Buck was a career fighter pilot and exposed cadets to the pilot career field. Now, the students will get a taste of life as a combat support officer.

His days as a cadet at ASU allow him to better relate to the students within the detachment.

"It is rather surreal to be here in this position since I graduated from this very Detachment 19 years ago, but I am enjoying the challenges thus far," he said.

Magnan said his goals for the detachment entail the production of, "high quality officers to take on the challenges of the Air Force, and to maintain and improve where possible the relationship between AFROTC Det 847 and Goodfellow AFB, Angelo State University, and San Angelo community at large."

He said he's still looking at what changes would need to be made to meet his goals.

"It is still too soon to determine what changes I'll need to make," Magnan said. "But, as in every other job I've held, I brought my own set of guidelines, beliefs and initiatives, which are centered around the Air Force Core Values, to the detachment."

Magnan began his military career as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist when he enlisted in the Air Force in 1983. After seven years of service, he was selected for ROTC at Angelo State University while assigned to Goodfellow as an instructor. He was commissioned in 1992, and his experience as an enlisted troop helped him excel as an intelligence officer.

Magnan held the position of International Diplomatic Clearance Planner and Chief of the Security Forces Contingency Operations Branch at Headquarters Air Mobility Command. He also served as the Deputy Group Commander and Director of Exercise Support for the 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. He has also participated in deployed operations Deny Flight, Deliberate Force, Provide Promise, Allied Force, Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Desert Strike, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

Magnan said he is also thankful for his "fantastic staff," and said he's confident the detachment will achieve, and more than likely exceed, all of its goals as they begin this fall with the largest freshman class the detachment has seen in more than five years.

In addition to serving as the detachment's commander, Magnan is the Professor Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Studies too. His responsibilities include training, motivating and selecting those cadets worthy of a commission in the United States Air Force.

Magnan has already begun preparations for the fall semester, which is scheduled to begin in a few weeks, and said he's also looking forward to commissioning five cadets as second lieutenants in the Air Force Aug. 5.