Photo By 2nd Lt. De-Juan Haley | Lt. Col Fredrick Thomas, right, renders a salute to 130th Airlift Wing commander, Col....... read more read more
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Col. Michael Cadle relinquished command of the 130th Mission Support Group to Lt. Col. Frederick Thomas II during a formal change of command ceremony held Dec. 2, 2017 at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, Charleston, West Virginia.
Col. Johnny Ryan, Jr., 130th Airlift Wing commander, presided over the ceremony with distinguished guests United States Air Force Brig. Gen. Paige P. Hunter, the Assistant Adjutant General – Air; U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Harrison B. Gilliam, director of the joint staff; and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles S. Walker, Chief of Staff for the West Virginia Air National Guard, in attendance.
“Lt. Col Thomas is an outstanding and excellent leader. He has had a rich and diverse military career, ranging from his time serving as an enlisted member in both the Navy and Army, his many years of experience as an officer, and his most recent experience as a deployed commander at Guantanamo Bay,” Ryan said. “I encourage you all to support him in this new position, as he helps to make the 130th AW an exemplary unit in the Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force.”
Lt Col Thomas originally entered service in August 1988 as an enlisted member serving in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1993, he enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard as a helicopter mechanic/crew chief while attending West Virginia Institute of Technology where he received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1997. Thomas was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in August 2000. He has served as the Engineering Operations Flight Officer, Readiness Officer, and Wing Budget Officer. Most recently, Thomas served as the commander, 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Joint Task Force, Guantanamo Bay Cuba from January 2016 through July 2016.
“I am grateful and humble to be standing here today, accepting the position of Mission Support Group (MSG) commander. Col. Ryan and Col. Cadle, I promise that I will not let you down in my efforts to make this the best group within the 130th AW and constantly strive to surpass the bar that you both have set,” Thomas said in his remarks.
The incoming commander stressed the importance of support and customer service as cornerstones of the Mission Support Group. He reminded all in attendance that those two lessons had served him well throughout his military career.
“To the people that came before me and now serve under me, I want to say thank you for everything that you do to support the mission of the 130th Airlift Wing,” Thomas noted. “I would not be here today if it were not for all of you, so for that, I say thank you.”
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.03.2017 08:44 |
| Story ID: | 257205 |
| Location: | WV, US |
| Web Views: | 763 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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