A change of command ceremony is slated for the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Saturday.
The 445th Airlift Wing will hold an assumption of command ceremony Saturday morning, the base announced Thursday.
Col. Raymond A. Smith, Jr. will assume command of the wing, the base said. Smith comes to the 445th from the U.S. Transportation Command where he served as the chief of the Deployment and Distribution Operations Center at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
Col. Adam Willis, who began serving as the 445th Airlift Wing commander May 15, 2016, became commander of the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina Dec. 7 last year.
With 2,041 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel, the 445th Airlift Wing is under the Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. If mobilized, the wing becomes part of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base.
The wing has nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Built by Boeing, the C-17 is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force, according to the Air Force.
The 445th Airlift Wing was activated at Wright-Patterson in October 1994 when two former units were combined: the 906th Fighter Group from Wright-Patterson and the 907th Tactical Airlift Group from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.
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