“If it takes a village to raise a child Flandreau did alright,” said Tony Firman upon hearing the news of his son Colonel Robert’s next duty station.
The United States Air Force announced the selection of Colonel Robert Firman to command the 42nd Mission Support Group (MSG) at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Col Firman’s change of command will be July 19, 2024.
The 42nd MSG provides support and base operating services to Air University, the 42nd Air Base Wing, the 908th Airlift Wing and 45 divers partner unites at Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex. Altogether, the Group supports a population of about 61,400 military members, civilian employees, retirees, and family members.

The 42nd MSG includes nearly 1,700 personnel across seven squadrons providing services in the areas of civil engineering, fire protection, communications, contracting, manpower, personnel, services, deployment processing, fuels, supply, transportation, air traffic control, airfield management, base security, and police services.
Currently, Col Firman is the Director of Public Affairs for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He arrived in this assignment several days before the start of Operation Allies Refuge, during which more than 34,000 Afghan evacuees processed through Ramstein Air Base. He has also supported U.S. and NATO information operations since the Russian buildup around, and subsequent invasion of Ukraine.
Col Firman is a 1991 graduate of Flandreau Public High School, and a 1995 graduate of the University of South Dakota. He joined the Air Force in 1998 and received his commission through Officer Training School in 1999.
Since then, he has been a Public Affairs Officer and a Foreign Area Officer. He has previously commanded two unties, included a combat command in Afghanistan and Air Force Recruiting Squadron headquartered in Arlington, Texas.
He has also served in five overseas assignments including three in Germany, one in South Africa, and one in Japan. He is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, Air War College, and twice from the Defense Language Institute in German and French.