Meet The Team

Welcome to the 556th Test & Evaluation Squadron (556 TES); home of the only MQ-9 Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron in the world! Your selection to the 556 TES was not by chance; you were hand-selected to join our elite unit and your role is critical to the success of our team and mission. 

The 556 TES has a tremendous responsibility to the warfighter and we hold ourselves accountable to high standards, pride ourselves on doing things right, and invest in all members of our team to ensure we are serving the warfighter beyond expectations. Our “Crow’s Nest” (556 support network) is open and available to all 556 loved ones and is second to none in the Air Force. 

We look forward to getting to know you and watching the impact you will have on our team and our mission. Our hope is this assignment is your most rewarding and memorable assignment in your career and you will truly learn what it means to be proud to be a Crow.

Your experience in the 556 TES will be filled with endless opportunities to experience and integrate the MQ-9 with all weapon systems across all the mission sets the multirole nature of the MQ-9 requires. The Nevada Test and Training Range is our backyard and our Creech and Nellis footprint enables us to easily integrate with other Test & Evaluation squadrons, the Air Force Weapons School, and many large force exercises like Red Flag.  

The goal of our operations is to create the most realistic operational environments the Reaper operates in today and tomorrow. This goal enables us to collect the most relevant test data points and create the tactics that inform, develop, and deliver the integrated tactical advantage to the warfighter, thus maximizing MQ-9 capabilities and making the MQ-9 relevant and critical to today's and tomorrow's fight.

The 556 TES schedule affords us the ability to enjoy a rare opportunity in the MQ-9 community: a break from shift work, a typically M-F days schedule, family days and holidays off, and the ability to build relationships with team members and their loved ones at all levels.

The 556 TES and its members are an extension of our family. We invite all loved ones to drop in for lunch or social mingling.  Our hallways are decorated with history, heritage, and occasionally holiday cheer.  We are grateful to the those who brighten our day the most, the Crow's Nest.  We have a schedule unique to the MQ-9 community, which allows our teams to maximize test preparation, mission planning, and time with each other those that matter most. 

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We cannot wait to officially welcome you and grow our Crow family and share our diverse culture.  We are excited to serve the warfighter alongside you to ensure the MQ-9 remains the most used asset in current and future fights.

My name is Stephanie and I warmly welcome you to the Crow Family! I hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, where I lived until I graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Behavioral Science. In 2010, I finished grad school and began my own Air Force career and truly got to explore the world. I've had the opportunity to make 8 moves in 10 years, with my favorites being Germany and Washington DC. This is my second time living in Las Vegas and I was very excited to learn I'd be coming back - although this time with little ones!

My husband Kevin and I have three boys - Owen (5), Liam (2), and Cole (9months). Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, our family LOVED traveling all the time. We hardly had weekends at home because we booked cheap flights whenever and wherever we could get them! My favorite trips have been Mexico City (where Kevin and I got engaged), Vancouver (where we were married), and Munich (Oktoberfest!). Now we focus our travels on nearby, outdoorsy locations like Mt Charleston or Lake Tahoe. Currently, my days consist of stepping on Legos and working to help make this squadron like a second family. My experience as a both a military member and military spouse give me a unique perspective to serve you as a key spouse. I look forward to meeting you!

My Air Force experience began 15 years ago when I married my husband, Chris. Since then, I have never ceased to be amazed by the twists and turns of life. I went from spending my days in NYC modeling the cash flows of billion dollar financial instruments, to teaching our four young kiddos how to add two-plus-two.

I am now a full-time homeschooling mom, but there were years I wondered and fretted over whether kids would even be a part of our life. After enduring a lot of loss and heartache, we are grateful (most days) for our chaotic family life. My interests vary pretty widely and in my spare time, you are just as likely to find me watching a beauty blogger review the latest hair appliance as you are to find me engrossed in a book describing the day-to-day life of a Civil War general.

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I look forward to getting to know you and learning from you, as we experience together the yet-unknown adventures that will certainly arise from being a part of the Crow family.

Hi everyone, my name is Leah, and I’m a Key Spouse for the 556 TES. I’ve been a military wife for 12 years, and I love the life and opportunities it has given my family! Recently, I was a Key Spouse for the 89th Marauders at Ellsworth AFB and on the executive board for Team Ellsworth Spouses’ Club.

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Both my husband, Jesse, and I were born and raised in Minnesota. We love, like it’s an obsessed kind of LOVE, the Minnesota Vikings football team! Skol! We travel often, usually to, at least, one NFL football game a year. We have two little kids, Kinsley (6) and J.J. (4), who have been forced to love the Minnesota Vikings as well. Besides traveling, I enjoy going out to dinner, binge watching TV shows, wine, shopping, and music. My Alexa is always blasting, especially to country, r&b, or pop.  

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My door is always open. I love meeting new friends and I have a passion for bringing people together. I’m very honored to help support the Crows. 

Welcome to the 556 TES. I am so happy to have you be a part of our community! I have been a military spouse for 8 years and of those 8 years I have skillfully dodged and avoided most military family functions until my spouse started working with the 556. This support network is unmatched. If you are shy or hesitant to really engage with your spouse’s unit, I truly understand. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and see if we have room for you and your family at our table (spoiler alert: we do!).

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I am married to Ryan (OGRE) and we are both from Knoxville, Tennessee. We moved from Cannon AFB to Nellis AFB six years ago. Since moving to Las Vegas, I completed a graduate degree and opened a private practice in town. I work as a licensed mental health therapist supporting individuals from all walks of life through their darkest days and toughest challenges. When I am not in session, I enjoy running, yoga, finding reasons to have brunch, and learning jiu jitsu. I am by nature a curious person who loves a good belly laugh. I hope to spend time and share a few laughs with you in the near future!

Welcome Crow Family!  I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, come from a long Air Force lineage, and never imagined I’d be an Air Force spouse, but here I am… 10 years and 4 kids later!  

I grew up with an uncontrollable urge for adventure and excitement that led me to pursue aviation in college at the University of Illinois (Go ILLINI)!  After September 11th, the aviation field was uncertain and I had to make the difficult decision to pursue a different passion…Sports!  I graduated with a degree in Sports Business (because I was clearly going to be the next Jerry McGuire) and worked in the industry for some time before my heart called me to serve my country. I joined the Air Force and later became a contractor working in the California desert on the forefront of technology conducting Developmental Test for MQ-9s and various weapons systems.

Fast forward to today, I am now staying home with our 4 kiddos, working part-time for Dept of Homeland Security, and trying to keep up with the crumbs, clutter, and craziness, while hanging on to some version of my sanity!  

We are a proud EFMP family and have been navigating the unique (and often challenging) facets of moving and re-establishing everything from our medical team, to finding someone to add as an emergency contact! Making meaningful connections is a passion and I can’t wait to extend our family to include ALL our 556 members & families!

Group First Sergeant