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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Col. Matthew Jensen took command of the 149th Fighter Wing during a change of command ceremony held in the wing’s maintenance hangar, May 15, 2021.
Jensen assumed the responsibility from his predecessor, Col. Raul Rosario, who retired after 26 years of service in a separate ceremony following the change of command. Prior to taking command, Jensen was the 149th Operations Group commander.
Jensen applied for the position of wing commander as the next challenge of his career. “Any time you step out of your comfort zone, it leads to personal growth and self-improvement so that’s why I decided to take on this challenge and this job,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, Assistant Adjutant General-Air for the Texas National Guard, spoke as the presiding officer of the ceremony and expressed confidence in Jensen’s abilities.
“The true measure of any commander’s success is not how well he or she performs individually, but how well the unit performs,” said Sueltzer. “[Col. Jensen] has a wealth of experience and is impeccably qualified to take on this command.”
Jensen outlined four key focuses during his address to the crowd. He explained the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect, looking out for one another as a family, assuming excellence, and fostering a culture of learning. While discussing the significance of assuming excellence, he said, “Part of our human nature tends to go toward the negative, but we need to fight that and assume excellence in each other because our teamwork is built on community and trust.”
Prior to his arrival to the wing in 2007, Jensen served as an F-16 pilot and instructor pilot on active duty. He has deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom and has more than 3,000 flight hours to include more than 100 combat hours.
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2021 15:43 |
| Story ID: | 397077 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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