JBLM Air Force Reserve unit gains new leader Saturday

Photo By Jake Chappelle | Pictured is Col. Scott L. McLaughlin.  

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

10.02.2014

Story by Jake Chappelle 

446th Airlift Wing (AFRC)

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Washington's only Air Force Reserve flying unit will induct its new senior officer Oct. 4, during an assumption of command ceremony here in Hangar 9 at 1 p.m.

Col. Scott McLaughlin, 446th Airlift Wing commander took responsibility of the unit at the end of September and he'll officially be introduced to his group of 2,100 Citizen Airmen during the ceremony, which will be his first Reserve duty weekend - and his first assignment as a wing commander.

"I'm very lucky to have been chosen to lead a wing - especially the 446 AW," McLaughlin said. "It's an honor and a privilege to serve a unit with such an impressive history of excellence."

This may be his first duty as a wing commander, but McLaughlin said his current role with the 446th, and his previous position as the 349th Operations Group commander at Travis Air Force Base, California, share commonalities in addition to the differences.

"McChord and Travis are very dynamic Reserve associate bases, so I'm familiar with that organizational model," he said. "The salient difference is the joint base construct. I look forward to learning more about our joint partners and the functional relationships within JBLM."

Another familiarity McLaughlin has with being stationed here is re-acquaintance with the Northwest.

"I left the Northwest in 1985, and didn't return to the West coast until 2013," he said. "I forgot how beautiful it is here, and how nice the people are. I really feel like I'm back home."

• Date Taken: 10.02.2014
• Date Posted: 10.03.2014 11:31
• Story ID: 144184
• Location: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US
• Hometown: COAST GUARD AIR STATION PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON, US
• Hometown: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US
• Hometown: NAVAL BASE KITSAP-BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US
• Hometown: PORTLAND, OREGON, US
• Hometown: TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US