Courtesy photo United States Air Force Colonel Timothy J. “Steiner” Meerstein, left, stands with his wife, Genae, and children, Jillian, Marcus, and John.

ESCANABA — In July, United States Air Force Colonel Timothy J. “Steiner” Meerstein, originally from Cornell, Mich., assumed command of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, a prestigious position at a unit of the Eleventh Air Force, which is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

After finishing high school at Mid Peninsula in 1995, Meerstein graduated from Michigan Technological University and earned a commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2000.

While at Michigan Tech, he met Genae K. Johnson of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., who graduated from Michigan Tech in 2001 and is now his wife. The couple has three children, Marcus, John and Jillian.

Meerstein’s 23-year military career, which has taken him around the country and overseas, also included several more trainings and accomplishments; he holds degrees and certifications in Technology Management, Expeditionary Warfare, National Security and Strategic Studies, and Leadership and Ethics.

Past assignments have sent Meerstein to Nebraska, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Rhode Island, Georgia and Alaska; overseas, he commanded a squadron in Italy and another in Turkey, plus deployed to Qatar, Omar and Afghanistan.

He served at the unit level and upward at the Pentagon at Headquarters Air Force staff.

“I’m in the warfighting communications careerfield, which includes deployable and tactical communications, where teams set up initial communications capabilities in austere locations and in forward operating bases,” Meerstein explained.

“Col. Meerstein has served in various base level and tactical communications assignments at the squadron, group, and major command levels. Additionally, he conducted operational analysis on a combatant command staff and the Joint Staff. Furthermore, he provided time-sensitive situational awareness to Air Force and Joint Staff senior leaders while assigned to the Air Staff,” reads a portion of his biography from the USAF.

Meerstein first went to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in 2022 to become the Director of Cyberspace Operations, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) Systems, Cyberspace Operations, and the Chief Information Officer for Headquarters Alaskan Command and Alaskan Region North American Aerospace Defense.

On July 9, 2024, he earned the command post of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, which makes him responsible for airfield operations, homeland defense systems, remote radar sites, consultation with native tribes and other communities in Alaska, and logistics support for the Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.