Detachment 850 Cadre
Training, Mentoring, Leading.
Commander, Professor of Aerospace Studies
Lt Col Potter
Lieutenant Colonel Trek C. Potter is the Commander, of Air Force ROTC Detachment 850. He serves as Professor and Department Chair of Aerospace Studies at the University of Utah. He is responsible for recruiting, developing, and commissioning cadets at the University of Utah, Weber State, Salt Lake Community College, Westminster College, Ensign College, and the Hill AFB campuses of Embry-Riddle and Park Universities.
Lt Col Potter entered the Air Force in 2001 as an enlisted Civil Engineering Operations Manager and was commissioned in 2007 through the Air Force ROTC program at Detachment 850 after graduating from Weber State University with a degree in Computer Science and Multimedia. He attained a master’s degree in Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2012 and in Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College in 2019.
The majority of Lt Col Potter’s commissioned career has been dedicated to the operations and defense of Air Force information and communication networks. He has directed cyber operations across the globe from remote Cyber Centers in California, Virginia, and Germany. In his most recent position, he served as Deputy Chief of the Information Warfare Division at Ramstein Air Base, Germany where he oversaw the integration and effective employment of non-kinetic effects, including Cyber, Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Special Programs into the Air Component support for the European and African theaters of military operations. Under his leadership, his teams performed critical roles in delivering aid to refugees from Afghanistan during OPERATION ALLIES REFUGE and support to Ukrainian military forces throughout the current Russia-Ukraine Crisis.
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
Maj Liechty
Major Jan M. Liechty serves as the Education Flight Commander for AFROTC Detachment 850 and an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at the University of Utah. He is responsible for the recruitment, training, and commissioning of cadets at the University of Utah and six affiliated cross-town colleges.
Born in Utah into an Air Force family, Maj Liechty experienced military life across numerous locations both in the U.S. and overseas. He commissioned through AFROTC Detachment 855 at Brigham Young University in 2006, earning his degree from Utah Valley University.
As a Force Support Officer, he has held a variety of roles in diverse locations, both stateside and deployed, contributing to mission readiness across multiple operational environments.
Maj Liechty has been happily married for 18 years and, together with his wife, they are proud parents of six children—three boys and three girls.
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
Capt Keffer
Captain Abby G. Keffer serves as the Operations Flight Commander for AFROTC Detachment 850 and an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at the University of Utah. She is responsible for the recruitment, training, and commissioning of cadets at the University of Utah and six affiliated cross-town colleges.
Capt Keffer began her Air Force career in 2005 as an Active Duty Command and Control Battle Manager before commissioning through Officer Training School in 2016 as a Force Support Officer. Prior to her current role, she led a team of 74 personnel across two sections, managed 37 commander support staffs, and advised installation command teams on deployments and human resource services as the Military Personnel Flight Commander at the 673d Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Her operational experience includes deployments to Afghanistan, Africa, and Qatar in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, and NOBLE EAGLE.
Passionate about teaching and leadership development, Capt Keffer leverages her military experience to mentor cadets and deliver academic instruction on Air and Space Force history, heritage, and values.
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies
TSgt Dickinson
Technical Sergeant Wesley Dickinson serves as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of AFROTC Detachment 850 and an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He is the primary point of contact for the cadet life-cycle process, overseeing the creation and maintenance of records for ROTC cadets at the University of Utah and six additional colleges in the Greater Salt Lake area.
TSgt Dickinson enlisted in the United States Air Force through the Delayed Entry Program and began Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in January 2012. His assignments have taken him to Gulfport, Mississippi; Fort Walton Beach, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas. Over the course of his career, he has deployed 29 times, accumulating more than 700 days in deployed environments.
With a background in Civil Engineering and a uniquely diverse career path, TSgt Dickinson is dedicated to mentoring and shaping the next generation of Air Force officers at Detachment 850, instilling in them the values of character, leadership, and respect.
NCOIC Administrative Management
TSgt Cook
Technical Sergeant Calvin R. Cook serves as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of Administrative Management at AFROTC Detachment 850, located at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. In this role, he oversees administrative operations for cadets at the University of Utah as well as those from six affiliated “cross-town” colleges in the Salt Lake area.
TSgt Cook enlisted in the United States Air Force in July 2014 under the Administration career field. Throughout his career, he has held key roles, including managing military post offices overseas and providing critical support to squadron leadership as part of the Commander’s Support Staff. His assignments have taken him to Korea, Japan, and Florida, and he has also completed a 180-day deployment to Kuwait.
Detachment Administrator
Ms. Natalie Richards-Gebbia