49th Wing welcomes new commander > Holloman Air Force Base > Display

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. —  

The forty ninth Wing hosted a wing commander change of command ceremony right here on Might 17, 2024.

U.S. Air Pressure Col. John Ethridge took command of the forty ninth Wing from U.S. Air Pressure Col. Justin Spears throughout a ceremony officiated by U.S. Air Pressure Maj. Gen. Clark Quinn, Nineteenth Air Pressure commander.

“The forty ninth Wing lives as much as its imaginative and prescient of being America’s premier coaching wing, but it surely’s greater than only a coaching wing” mentioned Quinn. “The forty ninth is forging the world’s most impressed, proficient, and adaptive warriors. Our Air Pressure should possess the capabilities to discourage aggression, undertaking energy and defend our nation’s pursuits throughout the globe, and this wing is at the forefront of creating these capabilities and Airmen to make sure our nation is able to fly, struggle and win at any time and in anyplace.”

Spears’ time in command noticed the forty ninth Wing and Crew Holloman obtain many firsts, together with the first-ever Holloman Group Connections Day and Holloman Ace of Races Marathon. He additionally led efforts to strengthen ties between the bottom and the local people, which resulted in Alamogordo, New Mexico being the primary unanimously chosen winner of the 2023 Altus Trophy by the Altus, Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce.

“If one desires to catch a glimpse of the energy and the fantastic thing about our nation, then they want look no additional than to the Airmen at Holloman and to the folks of Alamogordo,” mentioned Spears. “These Fightin’ 49ers make me proud to be an Airman and the patriots on this metropolis make me proud to be an American.”

Ethridge, beforehand the deputy commander of the 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Pressure Base, Nevada, thanked his predecessor and voiced his pleasure about becoming a member of the forty ninth Wing.

“As we transition to an incredible energy competitors, there has by no means been a better want for warrior Airmen ready to fly and struggle with the intention to deter and defeat any potential adversaries of the USA, our allies and companions,” mentioned Ethridge. “We on the forty ninth Wing are entrusted to coach future warfighters and that provides us the chance to form the way forward for our Air Pressure.”

Ethridge takes duty of the Air Pressure’s premier coaching wing for F-16 Viper pilots and MQ-9 Reaper aircrew, with 546 pilots and sensor operators graduating by means of the forty ninth Wing in 2023. His new tasks additionally contains offering mission companion assist to the various tenant models that additionally name Holloman house, together with the 704th Take a look at Group and the 635th Materiel Upkeep Group.