Photo By Staff Sgt. Hunter Unis | U.S. Air Force Col. Kevin Lawhon, assigned to the New York Air National Guard, 106th...... read more read more
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FRANCIS S. GABRESKI AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. – New York Air National Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Lawhon, a Middle Island resident, promoted to the rank of colonel during a ceremony at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York, July 31.
Lawhon joined the military in 2005 after graduating from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. During his eight years on active duty, he served as an electronic warfare engineer with the 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, until 2009. In 2010, he transitioned to the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where he served as an executive officer.
In 2013, Lawhon transitioned to the Air National Guard, where he joined the 106th Rescue Wing as a civil engineer.
Since joining the 106th, Lawhon has held numerous positions including chief of wing plans, combat systems officer, HC-130J weapons officer, assistant director of operations for the 106th Operations Support Squadron, the Operations Support Squadron commander and the deputy commander of the 106th Mission Support Group. He now serves as the 106th Mission Support Group commander.
Col. Jeffrey Cannet, 106th Rescue Wing commander and presiding official for the ceremony, commended Lawhon’s leadership and highlighted the importance of the promotion not just for Lawhon, but for the Airmen he leads.
"First, I want to congratulate Kevin on this major career milestone,” Cannet said. “I already know without asking that you are ready, willing, and able to accept this responsibility. Less than 1% of the Air Force achieves this rank, and fewer still understand how to leverage that rank to positively impact an organization and care for their members and therein lies the importance of today. Kevin, as much as this is a well-deserved promotion for you, the reality is, this is for your team."
In his remarks, Lawhon thanked his family, leadership, and the Airmen he leads for their continued support.
“I want to thank my family for being here today,” Lawhon said. “Without your love and support, I couldn’t make it without you. To all the Airmen in the Mission Support Group, I want to thank you as well. This promotion is not a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of the team because every one of you has contributed to shaping me into the leader that I am today.”
The 106th Rescue Wing based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, and the HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopter. The 106th Rescue Wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers, specializing in rescue and recovery, and deploys for domestic and overseas operations.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2026 17:31 |
| Story ID: | 571582 |
| Location: | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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