Meet Maj. Cullen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anthony J. Hyatt
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  One Airman's story begins in Hawaii, but his most recent chapter places him in sunny Florida.

Major Christopher Cullen accepted command of the 325th Maintenance Operations Squadron at Tyndall June 25.

Born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii, he spent the first 19 years of his life there.

Throughout high school, the major was enthusiastic about surfing and rugby. It wasn't until a few years after graduating from Mililani High School that Major Cullen decided to join the military.

"I spent two years surfing and just buming around and decided to join the Air Force because I needed some direction in my life," he said.

In 1993, Major Cullen entered the United States Air Force as an aircraft welder and machinist. He later earned his commission in 1999 through the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the University of Hawaii.

"When I earned my commission an officer told me 'when it comes to a military career, how we journey is far more important than how far we end up going,'" said Major Cullen.

Major Cullen has been all over the world and has a broad aircraft maintenance background with experience in Air Education and Training Command, United States Air Forces Central, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Pacific Air Forces Command and most recently the Australian Defense Force.

At his last assignment, the major was assigned to the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs Military Personnel Exchange Program as the Aircraft Maintenance Exchange Officer to the ADF from June 2007 to June 2010. He served as the officer-in-charge of the ADF's joint Training Aircraft Compliance Assurance Section, Directorate of Aviation Compliance, Directorate General for Technical Airworthiness, Melbourne City, Australia. He was responsible for full spectrum compliance assurance activities across the aircraft design, construction, maintenance and supply chain domains.

Some of Major Cullen's highlights in his military career occured between the years of 2006 and 2007. From January 2006 to April 2006, he served as the Maintenance Operations Officer at the 447th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq. He also served as officer-in-charge of the 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, "Fighting Cocks,"  at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan in May 2006.

But most recently, the high point of his career was taking command of the 325th MOS.

"The opportunity to command an Air Force squadron is very humbling," he said. "But I am looking forward to the responsibility, authority and accountability of command."

Major Cullen comes to Florida with his wife, Renee, and their two sons, Riley (10) and Owen (3).

"I plan to remain in the Air Force until the day they kick me out or until the day I stop having fun and kick myself out," he said jokingly.

For a closer look at the 325th Maintenance Operations Squadron click here.