Photo By Tech. Sgt. Daniel Farrell | U.S. Air Force Col. Shawn Fitzgerald, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing, left,...... read more read more
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WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. – Members of the 106th Rescue Wing welcomed Chief Master Sgt. Edward Rittberg as the wing’s new command chief during a March 5, change of responsibility ceremony at F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach.
Rittberg is a veteran of 28 years in the Air Force and New York Air National Guard.
He replaced Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Hewson, a Queens resident, and retired Suffolk County police officer, who will take over as the senior enlisted Airman for the 5,880-member New York Air National Guard on March 10.
“This is an incredible honor and I look forward to embarking on it,” Rittberg said.
“The most valuable resource we have is our Airmen. I challenge everyone to continue to do their best and to strive for success. As a wing and as a team, I’m convinced we can accomplish anything,” he said.
As command chief, Rittberg will be the liaison between the wing commander, Col. Shawn Fitzgerald, and the 106th’s enlisted force. He will be the personal advisor to the wing commander on all matters regarding the health, morale, welfare, quality of life and professional development of all enlisted wing personnel.
Rittberg has served as the senior enlisted advisory to the 106th Maintenance Group since 2018.
“His leadership, problem-solving skills and ability to take care of Airmen under his charge will make him an invaluable command chief for the wing,” Fitzgerald said.
“I do not know of any other chief in the entire total force that has done what you have done,” Fitzgerald said. “I am excited to start a new chapter within the history of the 106th with you.”
Rittberg enlisted in the Air Force in 1994 and served as a life support specialist in the 335th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
In 1997 he transferred to the New York Air National Guard and the 106th Rescue Wing. He has held senior enlisted leadership positions in the wing’s Mission Support Group, Medical Group and Maintenance Group. He is also a veteran of the Afghan War, and an instructor loadmaster with over 1,100 hours in different versions of the C-130 Hercules tactical transport.
From 2011 to 2014, he served as the Chief for the Air Expeditionary Force cell at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. This team was responsible for managing the deployment of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel around the world.
He is a graduate of several professional military courses and holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Phoenix.
He is also a graduate of the Wharton School Leadership Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
He has also served as the Chief of the Mattituck Fire Department.
“I look forward to being the next wing command chief and working with the Airmen and outstanding command teams to continue to make this wing the top-notch organization that it is,” Rittberg said.
The 106th Rescue Wing is equipped to conduct search and rescue missions on land or sea and rescue personnel behind enemy lines. The wing assists in maritime search and rescue when requested by the United States Coast Guard.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2023 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 440021 |
| Location: | WESTHAMPTON BEACH , NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 192 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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