New leadership trio addresses ‘Flagship Wing’ in first all call

Published July 11, 2025
By Karen Petitt
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIT FORCE BASE, Ill. --

Three uniformed Airmen stand together and smile for a photo — Col. Matt Collins, the new 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, is flanked by members of his leadership team: Col. Sean Burke (left) deputy commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Quentin Davis, command chief, in front of the Scott Field historic headquarters building at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The leadership trio addressed the wing members during their first wing-wide all call together July 2, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)

The Flagship Wing’s newest leadership trio shared insights about who they are, what motivates them, and how they plan to shape the wing and support its mission partners during a July 2 all-call.

Col. Matt Collins, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, took charge June 25 with Chief Master Sgt. Quentin Davis also stepping into his role as Command Chief, and Col. Sean Burke assuming his role a few days later as the deputy commander.

Together, they spoke about their families, their leadership philosophies, personal guiding principles, and answered questions from those in attendance.

Family Focused
Collins, who hails from San Antonio, Texas, began by sharing how the rich heritage of aviators in his own family inspired him to serve. His grandfather, Col. Perry Collins, flew the B-25 Mitchell bomber during WWII over North Africa before commanding a C-54 squadron during the Berlin airlift. He also served in the Korean War, and ultimately raised his family at Scott while working as the chief of safety for Military Airlift Command. He occupied an office in the very same building that now houses the 375th AMW, Bldg. P3.

His father, Col. Pat Collins, graduated from Mascoutah High School in 1966 before attending the Air Force Academy. After receiving his commission in 1970, he earned his Air Force pilot wings at Craig AFB, Alabama before flying the EC-47 during the Vietnam War. He commanded a C-141 squadron during Desert Shield/Desert Storm before retiring as a group commander and T-38 instructor pilot.

“I grew up around men and women who gave everything they have for their country. They are the ones who inspired me to serve, and now my kids are growing up in this Air Force, too.”

Col. Mat Collins, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander

It's been 22 years since he commissioned from the ROTC program at Yale University, and the majority of his flight time has been in the T-1 and the KC-135, having served three operational tours in the tanker. Collins has accumulated more than 2,900 flight hours—800 of them in combat. He also brings international policy experience from an assignment at NATO headquarters in Belgium, an Air Force Fellowship at Princeton, and the College of Naval Warfare in Newport, Rhode Island.

Collins said that he and his wife, Laura, along with their two sons, are thrilled to join the 375th AMW family and grow their connections with the surrounding community.

For Burke, a Louisianna native, his family is his “why and his world.” He met his wife, Becky, at Louisianna State University one month before the attacks on 9/11 and they’ve been together ever since. While they and their three children continue with moving into their new home from Washington, D.C., he said they’ve appreciated the warm welcome so far. As self-proclaimed “foodies,” they like to try new restaurants and travel. After a deployment, he said one of the highlights their family had together was when he re-swore his oath of allegiance in front the original U.S. Constitution at the National Archives.

A man in uniform introduces himself while on stage in front of a large audience. — Col. Sean Burke, 375th Air Mobility Wing deputy commander, introduced himself during a wing all-call at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 2, 2025. Burke discussed his C-17 flying career path and several unique opportunities that he had at the air staff level where he learned that U.S. military mission success can be amplified with credible and capable international partnerships.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)

At age 11, he became interested in flying and went on to earn his commission in May 2003 from LSU’s ROTC program. He then spent a majority of his flying career in the C-17. He shared several unique opportunities he had at the air staff where he learned that U.S. military mission success can be amplified with credible and capable international partnerships. Additionally, a personal challenge came when he was chosen to deploy for two years to Kabul, Afghanistan where he would to learn Afghan language and culture, and help them build their Air Force and civilian aviation enterprise. He said this was the toughest decision of his career and a turning point for him since he did not want to leave his family for two years. He said through the assistance of good mentors and a supportive wife and family, he lived out the Air Force’s motto of “Service Before Self,” and was rewarded with life-changing experiences.

Davis, a Charleston, South Carolina native, also echoed that success on the job often is a result of the support that family provides, and for Airmen to never take that for granted. He urged Airmen to make sure to document the moments with them so they have the photos to share later. He met his wife, Ebony, when he was 18 and they’ve been married for 20 years and have three children—one of whom currently serves as an Air Force civilian. Davis enlisted in March 2006 in the Public Health career field, and later served as a First Sergeant and senior enlisted leader until his appointment as a command chief.

“Having lived at nine bases in 19 years, our family has made a lot of sacrifices—jobs, schools, and friends. Make sure your family is part of your decision making; keep the main thing the main thing. That means no matter what opportunities come your way, if you have and maintain their support, then you will achieve success,” he said.

‘Prepare, Perform, Project’

Collins then shifted his message to how he views the mission of the Flagship Wing and what people can expect from him in the coming months.

“Our wing is not defined solely by the iron [aircraft] that we have on the ramp, it’s defined by our imperative to enable rapid global mobility,” he said, referencing the wing’s role as installation host in support of 36 mission partners that includes the U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command, 618th Air Operations Center, and its Guard and Reserve wings.

Citing this important responsibility, Collins shared his vision for the wing’s priorities within what he called his “3Ps,” a framework he described as closely aligned with and nested underneath Air Mobility Command’s stated priorities of Airmen, Mission, and Commitment.

The new commander walks across the stage while introducing himself in a room full of Airmen — Col. Matt Collins, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, speaks during a wing all call at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 2, 2025. Collins shared his vision for the wing’s priorities within what he called his “3Ps,” a framework he described as closely aligned with and nested underneath Air Mobility Command’s stated priorities of Airmen, Mission, and Commitment. He outlined the “3Ps” as: Prepare, Perform, and Project.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)

He outlined the “3Ps” as:

Prepare: Prepare yourself, your family, your unit, and the installation.
Perform: Know your job, and do your job to the best of your ability.
Project: Enable Scott AFB to function as a global power projection platform and ensure the wing’s Airmen project power and lethality at the tactical edge.

He also asked for Airmen to remain patient as the new command team acclimates to the wing and conducts unit immersions to fully understand each unit’s mission and the resources required to succeed.

Two uniformed men stand on stage while one of them addresses a large audience on how he wants to help. — The 375th Air Mobility Wing Command Chief Quentin Davis said he did not come here with any specific goals or ambition other than to positively impact the lives of Airmen. He said he tries to do that by being a good listener, and he cautioned others to not listen simply to formulate a response, but rather, to be able to help. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)

Davis added that “we need to make sure as a team, we’re connected, that people feel protected to speak up and that people feel respected. If all of that is taking place, our Airmen will succeed in getting after the 3Ps.” He said his role—and any enlisted member in a leadership position—"is to take the commander’s intent and vision, then translate that to our enlisted force. We advise and execute.”

Leadership Legacy

When asked about what they want their legacy to be, Collins said that, ultimately, he was raised with the philosophy “to leave something better than you found it. So, the legacy I want to leave is one where Airmen feel like they are better equipped to perform their duty. That means we owe Airmen as much clarity and guidance as possible with respect to the changes being implemented across our Air Force.”

A group of Airmen laughing together — Members of the 375th Air Mobility Wing react to hearing from the new leadership trio, who spoke about their families, their leadership philosophies, personal guiding principles during an all-call at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 2, 2025. Col. Matt Collins, 375th AMW commander, took charge June 25 with Chief Master Sgt. Quentin Davis also stepping into his role as Command Chief, and Col. Sean Burke assuming his role a few days later as the deputy commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daisy Quevedo)

Davis said he did not come here with any specific goals or ambition other than to positively impact the lives of Airmen. He said he tries to do that that by being a good listener. He cautioned others to not listen simply to formulate a response, but rather, to be able to help. He said leaders who listen can provide Airmen vector checks and help them answer their own questions and solve their own problems.

Collins concluded by promising clarity and transparency as the wing navigates any and all challenges ahead, and said he looks forward to the unit immersions and to working with the mission and community partners.