Photo By Airman 1st Class Halley Burgess | Maj. Chad Larson, commander of the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Aircraft...... read more read more
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Missouri — Maj. Chad Larson assumed command of the 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Lt. Col. Michael Belardo during a single change of command event here that also transitioned leadership of the 131st Maintenance Group and the 131st Maintenance Squadron.
Larson’s ceremony immediately followed the change of command ceremony where Belardo took the leadership reins of the 131st MXG from Col. Kimbra Sterr, and preceded an assumption of command ceremony where Capt. Matthew Payne assumed command of the 131st MXS, formerly commanded by Larson.
During the ceremony, Belardo noted that he has served alongside Larson for more than 10 years, and highlighted the extensive and varied resume that led to today’s leadership appointment.
Larson started his Air Force career as an enlisted Airman in 1985 as a maintainer on RF-4C Phantom II aircraft, and held a variety of positions on active duty and in the Air National Guard as he climbed through the enlisted ranks to senior master sergeant. He commissioned in 2006 as a member of the 131st Fighter Wing, and in his role as director of personnel, was instrumental in the wing’s transition in 2007 from a St. Louis-based F-15 wing to its current mission alongside the active-duty 509th Bomb Wing operating and maintaining the B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber.
“Clearly he is well-prepared for the job he is taking today, and I am very proud to name him the new commander,” Belardo said. “Chad, the squadron is yours. I expect the same effort and care of the mission and the people that you’ve displayed since day one. I know you will do a tremendous job.”
In his remarks, Larson challenged the maintenance men and women he’ll now lead to adopt his mantra to “do the right thing, always,” and asked them to hold him accountable as he holds the unit accountable as their leader.
Larson cited the successful total-force relationship forged over the past decade with the 509th BW.
“We’re stronger here at Whiteman because we have our active-duty counterparts that we work together with as a team,” he said. “They support us in everything we do, and we work with them to accomplish this mission to an unprecedented standard.”
Larson praised the unique capabilities that the Guard family brings to the nation’s war fight, citing the strength of full-time maintainers complemented by a diverse workforce of traditional drilling Guard members drawn from the best of Missouri’s communities.
“They are professionals, they are school teachers, they are police officers, (and) they work in the development of aircraft (as civilians). They put their full-time lives on hold and they come out here to serve our nation as a traditional Guardsman and support the B-2, whatever the mission set is,” Larson said. “That makes the Guard very unique in the strength and diversity that we bring to the military fight.”
“One weekend a month, two weeks in the summer – that’s what the Guard family does,” he added. “It’s incredible the amount of knowledge that the traditional Guardsman picks up in just that small amount of time. Working as a team, they try to do 30 days of work in 2 days.
“It’s just incredible what we can do as Guard members when we put our minds to it.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2017 14:36 |
| Story ID: | 251747 |
| Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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