SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- A new commander took charge of the 52nd Fighter Wing during the wing change of command ceremony at Hangar 1 here, September 4, 2019.
U.S. Air Force Col. David Epperson accepted responsibility of the 52nd FW in front of Airmen, local leaders and family. The change of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit to a commanding officer.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Wood, 3rd Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony in which Epperson, former commander of the 405th Air Expeditionary Group, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, took charge of the wing formerly led by U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Bailey, who will be assigned to the Pentagon.
“Col. Epperson’s family has come to the perfect place, Spangdahlem,” said Wood. “Col. Epperson, you are ready for this job. I could go on and on and talk about your record, but I think what matters most to the Airmen out there, is what you will do the next two years. I count on you to do it right and I know you will.”
Epperson inherits the wing as its 29th commander since its activation as the 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing in December 1971. He is a command pilot with more than 2,800 flying hours, including more than 700 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan in operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel and NATO’s Resolute Support mission.
“Saber Nation, I am beyond excited and extremely humbled to join your renowned 52nd Fighter Wing family today,” said Epperson. “The 52nd Fighter Wing’s legacy is one of leading from the front in deterring and combatting aggression. Today our mission sets are broad and our geographical lay down is vast, but each of you is an expert in your field. I look forward to learning from each of you as you execute our mission with precision and I challenge you to continue to make us better. Look for smarter, more effective ways to meet our mission and let’s champion those together in order to take us to the next level.”
As Saber Lead, Epperson now commands five groups, 23 squadrons and 11 geographically separated units spread across five countries, with approximately 5,000 dedicated military and civilian personnel.