NEVADA AIR NATIONAL GUARD Base, Nev. -- RENO, Nev. (Nov. 2, 2019) -- The 152nd Airlift Wing welcomed a new commander Nov. 2 during a change of command ceremony at the Nevada Air National Guard base.
Col. Jacob Hammons, F-16 pilot and 18-year active duty veteran, replaced Reno-native Col. Eric Wade.
“I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to lead the High Rollers,” Hammons said. “The 152nd Airlift Wing has a prestigious history here in the Reno-Sparks community. I’m excited to be part of that history. We will work together to make this the finest airlift wing in the U.S. Air Force.”
Col. Hammons, a Houston native, joined the wing earlier this year, and has been serving as the vice wing commander. He is the 22nd commander in the unit’s 71-year history.
Hammons graduated as a distinguished graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. He served as a thunderbird pilot, and flew more than 500 combat hours in Afghanistan.
Wade, outgoing commander, is the last RF-4C aviator from the 152nd Reconnaissance Group. The unit converted to C-130 H aircraft in 1996 and became the 152nd Airlift Wing.
“It’s been an honor serving as commander of the High Rollers of the 152nd Airlift Wing,” Wade said. “As a northern Nevada native— a graduate of Reno High and University of Nevada— I couldn’t have imagined a more fulfilling assignment at the tail end of my career in the U.S. Air Force than leading the fine men and women of the 152nd Airlift Wing.”
The wing has more than 1,000 Airmen and provides tactical airlift worldwide and expeditionary combat support. The unit also operates the the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) for large-scale wild land firefighting around the nation.