Photo By Senior Airman Joshua Hastings | U.S. Air Force Col. Edward Szczepanik thanks members in attendance during the 6th Air...... read more read more
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MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 6th Air Refueling Wing welcomed its fifth commander here, Aug. 2.
Col. Edward Szczepanik took command of the 6th ARW from Col. Adam Bingham during a ceremony officiated by 18th Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Corey Martin.
During his first address to the wing as commander, Szczepanik conveyed his commitment to supporting Air Mobility Command’s global reach mission and continuing the wing’s standard of excellence.
“When I think about the next two years ahead of us, I think about a nuclear operational readiness inspection, a combat readiness inspection [and] a unit effectiveness inspection,” Szczepanik said. “Those are all things that happen every five years. We get to do all of this; it is going to be us. We get to do $260 million in construction to bring on the KC-46, America’s next tanker.”
Unlike most incoming unit commanders whose new positions require moving from one installation to another, Szczepanik’s service continues here where he spent the last 14 months as the 6th ARW deputy commander. As deputy commander, Szczepanik was second in command of the wing and was the acting commander when needed.
“You are a man of great character and patience who always sees the good in people,” Bingham told Szczepanik. “I admire you greatly and will be cheering you on the entire way.”
Before coming here in 2023, Szczepanik served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. He began his Air Force career as a C-17 Globemaster III pilot and participated in numerous operations including Unified Response, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
During the ceremony, Martin expressed his confidence in Szczepanik’s command.
“It was not the ease of proximity that made him the next commander here,” Martin said. “He was the first officer I thought of when the position opened up, and it is for many reasons. He is now very accomplished on both sides of an air refueling boom, having served here, and his foundational years being in airlift and commanding a C-17 squadron.”
Martin also complimented the new wing commander’s previous performance in a joint force environment and his ability to communicate complex strategic ideas.
As the 6th ARW commander, Szczepanik is responsible for the wing’s worldwide combat air refueling mission and will provide installation support to Headquarters U.S. Central Command, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command and over 30 other joint mission partners. Additionally, he is responsible for nearly 17,000 base employees and their families and approximately $2.8 billion in base property and capital assets.
“I will promise three things, especially to those standing in formation and those out here in the sun,” Szczepanik said. “I will absolutely care. I will make decisions, especially the hard ones. And I will lead from the front.”
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2024 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 477747 |
| Location: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
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