Commanding Officer
LtCol Erica K. Mantz
Lieutenant Colonel Erica (Porter) Mantz is a native of Glennville, Georgia. She was commissioned in May 2004 upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy. Following The Basic School, Second Lieutenant Porter completed Aircraft Maintenance Officer School aboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida in September 2005.
After MOS school, Second Lieutenant Porter reported to MAG-39 at MCAS Camp Pendleton, CA. From 2005-2008, she served in maintenance control billets at HMLA-267 and HMLA-169. First Lieutenant Porter completed the Marine Aviation Supply Short Course in Athens, GA in June 2006. She deployed with HMLA-169 from October 2007 to May 2008 to Al Taqaddum, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. First Lieutenant Porter transferred to MALS-39 in July 2008.
At MALS-39, Captain Porter served as Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Airframes Division Officer, Aviation Life Support Systems Division Officer, and Ground Support Equipment Division Officer. In May 2009, she attended the Tactical Logistics Operations Course in Quantico, Virginia.
Captain Porter reported to Naval Air Systems Command aboard NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in July 2009. From 2009-2013, she was assigned to the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-263) as the Assistant Program Manager Logistics in support of the RQ-7B “Shadow” program. In June 2011, Captain Porter assumed her married name.
Following graduation from resident Expeditionary Warfare School in May 2014, Captain Mantz reported to 2d MEB in Camp Lejeune, NC. She assumed duties as G-3 Deputy Current Operations Officer and Senior Watch Officer. Major Mantz participated in several exercises including JUDICIOUS RESPONSE in March 2015; AFRICAN LION in the Kingdom of Morocco in May 2015; LARGE SCALE EXERCISE aboard Twentynine Palms, CA in August 2015; and COLD RESPONSE in the Kingdom of Norway in February and March 2016.
From June 2016 to July 2017, Major Mantz served as the MALS-26 Executive Officer at MCAS New River, NC. Following a HQMC tour and completion of resident Command and Staff College, Major Mantz returned to NAVAIR at NAS Patuxent River, MD in July 2019. Between July 2019 and May 2021, she served as the PMA-207 C/KC-130 Military Assistant Program Manager Logistics and subsequently the Deputy Program Manager. Lieutenant Colonel Mantz was promoted to her current rank in July 2020, and assumed command of MALS-24 on 28 May 2021.
Lieutenant Colonel Mantz’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Systems Engineering (U.S. Naval Academy), Master of Science in Systems Engineering (Naval Postgraduate School), and a Master in Military Studies (Marine Corps University). LtCol Mantz is a recipient of the Wayne E. Meyer Award for Outstanding Student in Systems Engineering (Distance Learning) from the Naval Postgraduate School. She also earned a Level III acquisitions certification in the Life Cycle Logistics field from Defense Acquisition University.
Her personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (gold star in lieu of third award), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of third award), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.