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The 121st Air Refueling Wing held a change of command ceremony here Aug. 9, 2026.
During the ceremony, Col. Lance Kollstedt assumed command of the 121st ARW from Col. Andrew Powers. Brig. Gen. Clarence Maynus, the Ohio assistant adjutant general for air, presided over the ceremony.
“Col. Kollstedt has the talent and the experience needed to carry the wing forward, and he has a big heart,” said Maynus. “To me, that is the main qualifier for serving as wing commander, and I think everyone can attest that he cares deeply about this wing.”
Before taking command of the 121st ARW, Kollstedt served as the wing’s deputy commander. His long history with the 121st ARW also included serving as both the maintenance and operations group commander. He is an evaluator pilot with over 5,500 hours of flight time.
“The faith of the Zeus 95 crew is permanently etched in our wing’s vision: to be masters of airpower, safeguarding liberty and security for the United States of America,” said Kollstedt.
He said this vision directs our twofold mission going forward.
“First, we have to be ready today; we must remain ready to execute worldwide air refueling with the KC-135 as it is, while aggressively upgrading the tanker so it’s fully connected to the modern battlespace,” said Kollstedt. “Second, we need to be postured for tomorrow; we must prepare our base, our infrastructure, and our messaging for the next aircraft, whether that is the KC-46 or whatever advanced platform comes next.”
Powers assumed command of the 121st ARW Nov. 6, 2023, and led the wing through one of its most eventful time periods ever, including the Zeus 95tragedy, the wing’s first combat losses since World War II.
“It has truly been a profound honor and a distinct privilege to serve you over these last few years,” said Col. Powers. “You, each of our Airmen, continue to make our wing stand out among all others, in whatever we pursue, all around the world — from maintaining our jets, to defending the base, along with everything in between and above.”
Powers, a command pilot with over 2,800 hours, is slated to attend the highly esteemed Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.
“Based on the incredible achievements of this unit over the past year and beyond, I have complete faith in our future,” said Kollstedt as he addressed the wing. “The tough challenges we face should not cloud our judgment; rather, they prove that when we keep faith in each other, we have the capacity to overcome any obstacle, every time.”
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2026 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 571927 |
| Location: | OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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