Lt. Col. Matthews (left) Sergeant Major Will Singleton is saluting (center), and outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Nate Henderson (right). The photo was taken on the Eclipse at Westover ARB on June 24th.
CHICOPEE – On June 24th, Westfield native, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Matthews assumed command of Marine Air Support Squadron 6, becoming the first local Marine to lead the squadron in over three decades. As Squadron Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Matthews will oversee detachments at both Westover ARB in Chicopee and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The mission of MASS-6 is to provide air support capabilities for the control and coordination of aircraft operation in direct support of Marine Air Ground Task Forces. MASS-6 has recently supported exercises in Norway and South Korea, conducted multiple United States based training exercises, and provided individual augmentees to NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.
Lt Col Timothy Matthews official command photo.
Lieutenant Colonel Matthews deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005 as the leader of an Air Support Liaison Team during Operation Phantom Fury/the Election Period and to the Horn of Africa in 2006-2007 as platoon commander assigned to the 6th Provisional Security Company conducting base and port security.In addition to his primary military occupational specialty, Lieutenant Colonel Matthews has served in the Reserve Support Program and as a joint planner for the Joint Planning Support Element, Norfolk, VA. His recent operational deployments include strategic and operational planning for Northeast Asia 2013, embassy reinforcement/ evacuation Libya 2014, and Joint Special Operations Task Force-Bragg 2015.
Lieutenant Colonel Matthews is a 1994 graduate of Boston College with a B.A. in History and an M.Ed in Secondary Education. He is 2012 graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, RI with a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies. He is currently an 8th grade U.S. History teacher in Newton, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Colonel Matthews lives in Westfield with his wife of 22 years, Bridget, and their children Fionnuala, Niamh, Declan, and Deirdre.
