Photo By Senior Airman Mckenzie Airhart | Col. Kenneth A. Borchers (left), 194th Wing Commander, passes the 252nd Cyberspace...... read more read more
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CAMP MURRAY, Wash.—Col. Robert Siau handed over command of the 252nd Cyberspace Operations Group to newly-promoted Col. Thomas Pries during a ceremony at the Pierce County Readiness Center on January 9. Pries previously commanded the 262nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron, and Siau is moving on to serve as vice commander of the 194th Wing, of which the 252nd Group is a part.
Col. Kenneth Borchers, commander of the 194th Wing, said that Siau led the Group during an intense period for domestic operations. This included 96 Group members who took part in military assistance for civil disturbance operations in 2020. It included 252nd airmen who made up almost half of recent Red Card-trained Wing wildfire crews. It included cybersecurity support to the Washington State Secretary of State to protect the 2020 election. That is on top of the Group’s federal mission, which included extensive geospatial targeting work by the 194th Intelligence Squadron, said Borchers.
Borchers told airmen of the 252nd that Siau “fought for you at every turn” and described him as a “servant leader” who worked “tirelessly.” Pries said that whenever Siau made a decision, he always asked the question, “How is this going to affect the airmen?”
Siau lauded Group headquarters staff who “make it a joy to come to work every day” and praised airmen who “stepped up time and time again.”
Pries enters the 252nd Group command with an extensive background in cyberspace operations. Borchers said that under Pries’s leadership, the
262nd COS has been “the absolute leader in the field of cyber ops.”
Siau commended Pries for prioritizing airmen at all times while staying focused on the mission.
Pries began his journey in the Washington Air National Guard in 1989 when he joined the 111th Air Support Operations Squadron as an enlisted member. It was Maj. Jack Arnold, the first commander of the 111th ASOS, who “introduced me to what it meant to be a Guardsman and what it meant to be part of the Guard family.” Over the course of his career, Pries moved into a variety of roles. “Tom has been a warrior in many different arenas,” said Siau.
In remarks to airmen during the change of command ceremony, Pries pledged that he will be as dedicated to advocating for his airmen as they are in the work they do to advance the mission. “I couldn’t be prouder than to be your commander,” he said. “It is an honor and a privilege to lead you into this next chapter of our history.”
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2022 18:51 |
| Story ID: | 412639 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 375 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Pries to lead 252nd Cyber Operations Group, by Capt. Hans Zeiger, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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