Photo By Senior Airman Corinna Morlan | U.S. Air Force Col. Darren Wees, 704th Test Group outgoing commander, passes the...... read more read more
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – Col. Karl Seekamp officially took command of the 704th Test Group at Holloman Air Force Base during a ceremony Sept. 9.
As the test group’s commander, Seekamp will oversee units operating world-class test facilities for high-speed sled track testing, navigation and guidance system testing, radar signature measurements and weapon systems flight testing, and serve as Air Force liaison for all Air Force programs tested at White Sands Missile Range.
Seekamp previously served as the Air Force Test Center Director of Safety, overseeing mishap prevention within the $31 billion enterprise of more than 18,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel across the test wings headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base and Arnold AFB.
He entered active duty in 1999 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Connecticut, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He also holds a master’s degree in business management from the University of Maryland.
Seekamp completed Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, followed by Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training – Helicopter at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He served operational tours flying the UH-1N at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, before attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland.
Following TPS, Seekamp led U.S. Air Force developmental testing of the CV-22 Osprey, HH-60 Pave Hawk, and Guardian Angel Weapon systems. In 2011, he commanded Detachment 1 of the 838 Air Expeditionary Advisor Group, leading Mi-17 combat operations across western Afghanistan.
Seekamp has commanded flight test units at both the detachment and squadron levels. He additionally oversaw nine highly diverse test squadrons and detachments as deputy commander of the 96th Operations Group. He has staff experience in numbered Air Force-level safety, major command standardization and evaluation, and combatant commands strategic plans.
Prior to his role as AFTC Director of Safety, Seekamp led the Hurlburt operating location of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center where he was responsible for operational testing of the HH-60W Jolly Green II and MH-139A Grey Wolf, two of the Air Force’s newest major weapon system acquisitions.
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2022 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 429856 |
| Location: | HOLLOMAN AFB, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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