SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC -- Service members of Fifteenth Air Force welcomed their new commander during a change of command ceremony Jan. 5 at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
Maj. Gen. David B. Lyons took command of Fifteenth Air Force from Maj. Gen. Michael G. Koscheski during a change of command ceremony. Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, presided over the ceremony.
“If you travel around the globe and watch 15th Air Force airmen in action, they thrive where there is no precedent, they step forward when there is no predecessor, they do so with pride, and energy, and efficiency, and they find a way to win,” said Kelly.
Prior to taking command of Fifteenth AF, Lyons served as the Air Combat Command interim deputy command and director of operations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
“Fifteenth Air Force still brings the very best America has to offer and I sincerely hope that each and every one of you is proud to be associated with this lead organization as I am,” said Lyons.
Fifteenth Air Force prepares its subordinate commands to prepare for and execute expeditionary taskings. In total, Fifteenth Air Force commands 13 wings and three direct reporting units in the Southeastern U.S., ensuring the operational readiness of more than 600 aircraft and 47,000 active duty and civilian members.