Photo By Staff Sgt. Brandon Shuman | 911th Operations Group Commander, Col. Jamie Akers, hands the guidon to the incoming...... read more read more
Lt. Col. Paul D. Plumley took the helm of the 758th Airlift Squadron during an assumption of command ceremony at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, Aug. 5, 2023.
The ceremony was held in the cargo hold of a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing and was officiated by the 911th Operations Group Commander, Col. Jamie Akers.
Plumley was previously the deputy commander of the 911th Operations Group. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2002 and commissioned into the West Virginia Air National Guard in 2003. Plumley initially flew the C-130 Hercules and deployed numerous times in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
The former commander of the 758th AS, Lt. Col. Barry D. Evans, said he became commander by keeping an open mind and simply saying yes when opportunities presented themselves. That each job was the best job, and countless people had faith in making him commander. Evans' closing remarks were of the future of the 758th AS and how it was now in the capable hands of Plumley and the members of the wing.
Reminiscing about his time with various squadrons Plumley spoke of the people he met over his career and the stories they forged. One was the moment he was offered the position of commander and the questions that surged in the face of taking on that responsibility.
“What is a squadron?” Plumley asked himself. “What is a squadron commander?”
Wanting a deeper answer than a textbook definition, Plumley found inspiration in his children as to how he wanted to lead his squadron of Steel Airmen.
“A squadron is like a family, and the commander is like the dad,” he continued. “My purpose became clear. Like any proud father, my job would be to tell stories. A story of the girl that raised her hand and said, ‘Yes General, I actually have a lot more to say.’ A story of the man who raised his hand and said, ‘Yes, I’m going to the hardest school of my life so I can come back and make this place better.’ And the story of all the Airmen that raised their hands and said, ‘Yes, I’ll go.’”
An example of those Airmen who raised their hand and said they’d go, Plumley revealed, were the Steel Airmen of the 758th AS who joined in the operation to evacuate Kabul Airport. They were the men and women who risked their lives in the face of uncertainty so others could have a chance to find freedom.
“I am truly humbled to wear the 758th AS patch, the best airlift squadron in the Air Force,” said Plumley. “You are why I accept this position today.”
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2023 07:57 |
| Story ID: | 450939 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION , PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 254 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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