301st Maintenance Group welcomes Lozano as commander

301st Fighter Wing:

"Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas - The 301st Maintenance Group marked the transfer of command from Col. Christina Manning to Col. Jess Lozano during a ceremony here Nov. 8, 2026.

Col. Abel Ramos, 301st Fighter Wing commander, presided over the ceremony.

Lozano outlined priorities for supporting Airmen and sustaining the group’s F-35 Lightning II maintenance capability following the 301st Fighter Wing’s transition from the F-16.

“I will never lose sight of the fact that people come first,” Lozano said. “I will fight for the resources and support you need to be successful.”

He emphasized maintaining standards and providing dependable aircraft to support the wing’s mission.

“We will deliver safe, reliable, and properly configured aircraft at the agreed upon time,” Lozano said.

Ramos credited Manning with establishing the training and maintenance processes needed to support the new aircraft while protecting her Airmen’s quality of life. He highlighted her efforts to bring F-35 instructors to the installation so maintainers could train locally rather than travel to other bases.

“She did everything that was necessary,” Ramos said. “She worked with everybody across the board to understand what the F-35 enterprise was. And then when our first one arrived back in 2024, we were ready.”

Manning received the Legion of Merit during the ceremony. According to the award citation read aloud, she led the acceptance of 29 F-35 aircraft and collaborated with Air Education and Training Command to train more than 365 total force maintainers at the installation.

In her farewell remarks, Manning credited the group’s progress to the discipline, teamwork and technical skill of Airmen across the flight line, back shops, munitions and support functions. She also thanked fellow wing organizations and industry partners for helping the group meet the demands of the conversion.

“Jess, you got an exceptional team here, forged together by discipline, Texas grit, and a whole lot of passion for generating air power,” Manning said.

Lozano encouraged Airmen to raise concerns, share ideas and take an active role in improving the organization. “If you have a better way of doing something, I want to hear it,” Lozano said. “This is our group, and I expect every Airman to feel empowered to make it better.”

Lozano previously served as deputy commander of the 452nd Maintenance Group at March Air Reserve Base, California, according to his ceremony biography. He commissioned in 2004 and has held aircraft maintenance leadership positions in both the active-duty Air Force and Air Force Reserve."