The 911th Operations Support Squadron held an Assumption of Command ceremony at Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2026.
Baker takes the reins of the position of commander with a list of accomplishments under his belt. He has served as an instructor pilot, chief of aircrew training, chief of readiness, chief of operations plans, tactics officer for the C-130H Hercules, operations support squadron executive officer and is a command pilot with more than 4,900 flying hours, including more than 800 combat hours. Baker has flown missions in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, NOBLE EAGLE, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM SENTINEL, and SPARTAN SHIELD. Prior to his current position Baker was Assistant Director of Operations for the 758th Airlift Squadron.
Baker is a graduate of Kent State University and he received his commission through the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School in 2007. He earned his wings at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, as a C-130H pilot in 2008. Baker shifted from C-130H operations to C-17 Globemaster III operations alongside the 911th Airlift Wing and now leads more than 50 military and civilian personnel in C-17A tactics, C-17A Current Operations, Air Force Operations Intelligence, Aircrew Flight Equipment, Aviation Resource Management, Combat Crew Communications and Airfield Management.
The Assumption of Command symbolically transfers authority and responsibility from one commander to the next thus ensuring a continuous unbroken chain of command. By passing the flag, Lt. Col. Matthew Williams, 911th Operations Group commander, confirmed the command of the 911th OSS to Lt. Col. Charles Baker. Williams spoke of Baker's accomplishments, including the challenge of transitioning from C-13H Hercules to the C-17 Globemaster III.