Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Brown | The inbound and outbound commanders of the 154th Wing fly F-22 Raptors in formation...... read more read more
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Col. Phillip L. Mallory assumed command of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing from Brig. Gen. Dann S. Carlson Sept. 11, after completing an in-flight change of command ceremony.
The inbound and outbound leaders took to the skies as part of a routine F-22 Raptor training sortie, which served as a backdrop for a symbolic change of command ceremony and also Carlson’s final flight before his military retirement.
Hawaii Air National Guard commander, Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Harris II presided over the aerial event while flying aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker. All three aircraft rendezvoused into a formation near the island of Oahu, with Harris directing the transfer of authority via radio communication.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve the Airmen of the 154th Wing,” said Carlson upon relinquishing command. “You’re in great hands. Buddha (Mallory’s call sign), you have the reigns.”
Moments later, Carlson rolled his Raptor to the left and vanished into the horizon, leaving his successor alone to lead on the Air National Guard’s largest and most complex wing.
Family and friends assembled on the Hickam Airfield Raptor Ramp to greet both fighter pilots as they returned to base, celebrating Carlson’s more than three decades of service and congratulating Mallory’s new role as Wing commander.
Throughout Carlson’s three-year tenure as wing commander, beginning in August 2019, he has placed ‘ohana as the number one priority of the organization, emphasizing a need to take care of every member and their families as they set out to accomplish the 154th Wing’s mission. The 154th Wing saw some of the Air National Guard’s highest-level awards under his leadership, including the Outstanding Unit Award and the Gen. Spaatz Trophy this past year.
Mallory, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, provided a wealth of experience over the past 24 years of service and has most recently served the Hawaii ANG as the 154th Wing vice commander, the 154th Operations Group commander, and the 298th Air Defense Group commander. He has accumulated more than 2,400 flying hours in the F-22, F-15 Eagle and AT-38B aircraft and has been recognized by his peers as a leader who deeply values Airmen at every level of the organization.
Following an emotional reception on the JBPH-H Raptor Ramp, Mallory was handed the 154th Wing gaidon, or colors, representing the ceremonial passing of authority from one commander to the next.
“I just want to thank [Brigadier] General Carlson for being an awesome wing commander,” said Mallory. “I really enjoyed being his vice as well as his OG and also working with him while I was outside the Wing. I couldn’t be more proud to be on this team; I am truly fired up to be wing commander and looking forward to serving Airmen in every capacity possible as we go forward.”
The 154th Wing is comprised of nearly 1,900 Airmen who upkeep and deploy multiple high-profile mission sets. This includes protecting the U.S. homeland as part of a 24/7 alert mission, enabling global reach to U.S. and allied aircraft through a robust tanker fleet and providing contingency rescue response capabilities for NASA’s human space flight program.
154th Wing Airmen are charged with maintaining wartime-ready assets and can deploy disaster-relief capabilities during peacetime operations within the State of Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and across the international community.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2022 22:26 |
| Story ID: | 429666 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 496 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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