Photo By Tech. Sgt. Frank Casciotta | A U.S. Air Force officer renders a salute from an elevated stage during a military ceremony as service members in the foreground salute in return. A second officer is seated in a ceremonial chair on stage. The American flag and U.S. Air Force flags are displayed behind the officer on stage. The ceremony appears to take place at a military installation, likely a change of command or assumption of command event. see less
| View Image Page
310th Space Wing holds final change of command ceremony
Col. Melissa C. Burton assumed command of the 310th Space Wing from Col. Adam H. Fisher during a change of command ceremony June 7, in what is expected to be the wing's final change of command before its inactivation.
Brig. Gen. Kevin Merrill, 10th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony, formally transferring command authority from Fisher to Burton, the previous commander of the 310th Mission Support Group.
The ceremony comes as the 310th Space Wing, the only space wing in the Air Force Reserve, continues its transition toward inactivation under the Space Force Personnel Management Act, signed into law in December 2023. Under the act, space-focused Air Force Reserve personnel were given an opportunity to apply for transfer to the U.S. Space Force, find another assignment within the Air Force Reserve or separate from service.
During his opening remarks, Merrill praised Fisher’s leadership in managing that complex drawdown over the last two years, noting he undertook the "titanic work" of divesting the storied wing while remaining committed to his people.
Under Fisher's command, the wing drove the placement of 600 Airmen and forged a command-wide placement tool, all while increasing wing force presentation by 20 percent to fill combat lines for 18 named operations. Fisher will transition to his next assignment as the mobilization assistant to the director of Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements at Air Force Global Strike Command.
Turning his attention to the incoming commander, Merrill made his expectations clear.
“Your charge is clear: protect the trust of those you lead,” Merrill said. “Bring our deployers home safely, take care of them when they get back, and ensure every Airman has a clear path forward in their service.”
Following the passing of the guidon, Burton addressed the wing, acknowledging the unique nature of her new role and referencing a time capsule the unit recently buried.
“Few commanders are asked to take command of a unit knowing their charge in the end is to close it as well,” Burton said. “This is a command of completion, not of growth, of stewardship, not of expansion. ... The most important signal this wing transmits forward is not the one that's buried in the ground. It's the one walking out the door every single day. It's each and every one of you.”
Since arriving at the 310th in January 2021, Burton has commanded the 310th Force Support Squadron, served as deputy commander of the 310th Mission Support Group, and most recently led the group itself. As MSG commander, she oversaw more than 1,200 personnel across four geographically separated units enabling the wing's transition.
A graduate of Baylor University's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Burton commissioned in 2003 as a services officer and cross-trained into public affairs in 2014. Her career has spanned squadron, wing, major command, combatant command and joint assignments, including a tour as a public affairs staff officer at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. During that assignment, she deployed as the director of staff for the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, supporting Operations Active Fence and Inherent Resolve. She promoted to colonel in May 2025.
As the wing continues its drawdown, Burton inherits responsibility for a unit whose lineage traces to a former Doolittle Raider's command. The remaining mission, members and traditions of the 310th now pass into her hands for the wing's final chapter.
