July 22nd 2025
Master Sgt. Jamie Spaulding
109th Airlift Wing
Lt. Col. James Vendetti promoted to Colonel at 109th Airlift Wing
STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. — The 109th Maintenance Group commander, Lt. Col. James Vendetti, was promoted to the rank of colonel during a ceremony July 22 at Stratton Air National Guard Base with Col. Steven Slosek, commander of the 109th Airlift Wing, presiding over the ceremony.
Vendetti, who leads the 109th Maintenance Group in overseeing the upkeep and readiness of the wing’s LC-130 Hercules aircraft, thanked his family, fellow Airmen and mentors for their support throughout his career and offered words of advice.
“My journey to this day has been an interesting one. This Thursday, the 24th, it will be exactly 33 years in the military for me. From an Army Private to today, I think it’s safe to say I was a long shot” Vendetti said.
“There is no secret formula. There are no shortcuts. If there was an easy way I would have found it. The times I’ve been most unfulfilled at work are the times when I wasn’t giving it everything I had. Take that as a call to action, the mission in front of us can be difficult. That is nothing to be feared. It’s something we need to face head on. To me, that is the spirit of the 109th.” Vendetti continued.
Slosek praised Vendetti’s leadership, noting his role in sustaining the wing’s unique polar airlift mission in support of the National Science Foundation in Greenland and Antarctica.
“Col. Vendetti’s professionalism and commitment to excellence have been vital to the mission success of the Maintenance Group and the wing as a whole,” Slosek said. “This promotion is well-deserved and speaks to his impact on the Airmen he leads.
The 109th Airlift Wing, based at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York, operates the Department of Defense’s only ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft, providing essential airlift capabilities to polar regions