New ISRG commander attains rank of colonel

By By Senior Airman Matthew Matlock , 188th Wing Public Affairs / Published April 02, 2017

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Stanley L. Stefancic III was promoted to the rank of colonel and assumed command of the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group March 1, 2017 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. Retired Chief Master Sgt. Stanley Stefancic Jr. and Lindsey Stefancic, spouse of Col. Stefancic, place the colonel insignia on Stefancic’s service coat. It is an honorary tradition for the member’s family to pin the insignias during an officer’s promotion ceremony. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock)

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Col. Robert I. Kinney passes the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group guidon to Col. Bobbi J. Doreenbos, 188th wing commander, during the change of command ceremony March 1, 2017 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. Kinney’s successor, Col. Stanley L. Stefancic III has served 24 years in the intelligence career field and has an extensive background in intelligence support to unit-level operations. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock)

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Col. Stanley L. Stefancic III receives the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group guidon from Col. Bobbi J. Doreenbos, 188th wing commander, during the change of command ceremony March 1, 2017 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. Stefancic has served 24 years in the intelligence career field and has an extensive background in intelligence support to unit-level operations. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock)

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From left, Col. Bobbi J. Doorenbos, 188th Wing commander, Col. Stanley L. Stefancic III and Col. Robert I. Kinney stand following Stefancic’s assumption of command of the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group March 1, 2017 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. Stefancic assumed command from Kinney, who was commander of the ISRG for almost three years. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock)

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Col. Stanley L. Stefancic III speaks during the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group change of command ceremony March 1, 2017 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. Stefancic spoke about the ISRG’s past and future and how the two missions would move to the next level. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Matthew Matlock)

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EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. --

Stanley L. “Sonny” Stefancic, III was promoted to the rank of colonel and took command of 188th Wing’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group April 1, 2017.

“If his past, and quite frankly, current performance is any kind of prediction, then I am confident that Sonny will be wildly successful [in his new position],” said Col. Bobbi Doorenbos, commander of the 188th Wing.

Stefancic has deployed to many different theaters, such as support of Operations DENY FLIGHT/JOINT ENDEAVOR Aviano, Operations NOBLE EAGLE, NEW DAWN and ENDURING FREEDOM Afghanistan and TRANS-SAHEL Africa.

Col. Stefancic has also participated in various Defense Support of Civil Authorities operations including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav and Ike, as well as the Southern California Wildfires in 2007.

"To the members of the ISR Group, your followership enables my leadership," said Stefancic. “Everything we do, we do it together and we do it as a team… that is not going to change.”

Following military tradition, Stefancic received the guidon from Col. Robert Kinney, who expressed his enthusiasm for the future of his successor and the ISRG.

“His vision for the group will take it to the next level, and it will help the wing continue on in the journey of change and adapting in this volatile, ambiguous and complex environment we’re in,” Kinney expressed.

Before closing, Stefancic commended the ISRG’s initial operational capabilities under Kinney’s command and what to expect for the group’s future.

"Col. Kinney set the stage for us,” Stefancic said. “Let me assure you, we are going to take these two missions in this group to the next level, and we have everything we need to do it."

Stefancic enlisted in the Colorado Air National Guard in 1991 and was commissioned at the Academy of Military Science in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1998. He has served over 24 years in the intelligence career field.