The winds of change

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Recently, the 45th Mission Support Group successfully stood up the newly formed 45th Force Support Squadron (FSS). This historic event marked the culmination of ongoing efforts to join the Mission Support and Services Squadrons into a viable, cohesive team, better able to serve the Patrick and Cape Canaveral community.

While some may have thought that such a feat was not possible, given the large number of people and various organizations involved, the men and women of the FSS proved otherwise. They stepped up to the challenge and were triumphant! Lt Col Matthew Wallace is the first commander of the 45th Force Support Squadron.

This great team delivered a first for the Air Force - the first non-test FSS - setting a precedent for every other unit that will standup throughout our force. So, the next time you see someone from the FSS, congratulate them for a job well done! Throughout this transition, there will be some minor inconveniences as folks relocate to new offices, and phone numbers get updated. Please be patient while our "remodeling dust" settles.

Change is a necessary part of life, and summer 2008 is the year of change for the Mission Support Group! Today, our Security Forces Squadron changes command with Lt. Col. John Brooker handing over the leadership of that great unit to Lt. Col. Bill Cannon. Lt. Col. Matt Wallace, commander of the new FSS, leaves us on July 7 for bigger pastures. Maj. Roy Longley, our LRF commander, is currently deployed to Iraq. He will go on to his next assignment from there. Ron Rogers, the commissary director, leaves us on Wednesday, with his replacement coming in the first week of July. Finally, I will be handing over leadership of the MSG to my replacement, Col. Charlie Beck, on July 18.

As we see the changes at the heads of all of these organizations this summer, this great team won't miss a beat. The great men and women of the 45 MSG will continue to provide outstanding mission support to assure success of the wing's launch, range and expeditionary operations and provide comprehensive support to our mission partners.