Photo By Capt. Colette Muller | The Western Air Defense Sector first sergeant, Master Sgt. Mary Whitney, steps forward...... read more read more
Col. Gregory R. Lewis became the new commander of the Western Air Defense Sector during an assumption of command ceremony at the Washington Army National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord July 31, 2018.
The ceremony was presided over by Brig. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, First Air Force and Air Forces Northern Command vice commander.
Lewis replaces Col. Gregor J. Leist, who transferred to NORAD at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
Lewis received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps following graduation from The University of Alabama in 1997 with a degree in Management Information Systems. After completing Air Battle Management Training at Tyndall AFB, Florida he was assigned to the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma providing airborne command and control while flying in the E-3 Sentry (AWACS).
In 2004, Lewis was assigned to the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron as the chief of standardization and evaluations and then as the 18th Operations Group chief of E-3 Standardization and Evaluations, Kadena Air Base, Japan.
In 2008, he was assigned back to Tinker AFB as the chief of Wing Exercises for the 552nd Operations Support Squadron and later as the assistant director of operations for the 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron.
In 2009, Lewis transitioned from the active-duty Air Force to the Florida Air National Guard and became the C2 Weapons and Tactics chief, Operations Training chief, and executive officer to the commander at Headquarters First Air Force, Tyndall AFB.
In 2014, Lewis attended E-8C Mission Crew Commander Training with the 330th Combat Training Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia where he was later assigned as the commander of the 116th Operations Support Squadron. In 2015, Lewis became the deputy commander for the 116th Operations Group.
Prior to taking command of the WADS, Lewis served as the Air National Guard Advisor to the Air Combat Command Inspector General. He is a master Air Battle Manager with more than 3,500 total flying hours in the E-3, E-767 and E-8, including over 410 combat hours. He has flown in support of Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and U.S. Pacific Command Theater Support.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2018 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 292717 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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