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'Grand Slam' Wing welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Brig. Gen. Roger H. Watkins assumed command of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing from Brig. Gen. Giovanni Tuck during a change of command ceremony at the Coalition Compound Theater here June 14.

Lieutenant Gen. David Goldfein, U.S. Air Forces Central commander, presided over the event in which more than 500 service members and coalition partners attended.

"When searching for the next commander, we hit a homerun," said Goldfein. "Brig. Gen. Roger Watkins brings the perfect blend of operational expertise and proven leadership necessary to take the 379th to even greater heights."

Prior to this assignment, Watkins served as the commander of the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. He is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flight hours in the T-1, T-37, T-6 and KC-135 Stratotanker.

In his first speech addressing the "Grand Slam" Wing, General Watkins began by expressing his gratitude toward Goldfein for selecting him as the next commander of the 379th AEW.

"General Goldfein, thank you for your time in officiating this ceremony and more importantly for your trust and confidence in me to lead the 'Grand Slam' Wing," he said. "I very much look forward to the exciting challenges in the coming year and to also work with such a fantastic group of new leadership within the wing."

Watkins follows Tuck in leading the 379th AEW which provided the area of responsibility more than 8,500 hours of close air support and delivered more than 700 precision guided munitions from the B-1 Lancer. The "Grand Slam" Wing also is the center for the largest tanker squadron in the AOR, is home to CENTCOMS only blood transfusion center, supports the only RC-135 operation and largest munitions and maintenance storage areas in the AOR.

"I would be remises if I didn't say thank you to General Tuck and his team for a job extraordinarily well done," said Watkins. "We all will have enormous boots to fill. I very much look forward to the exciting challenges in the coming year and to also work with such a fantastic group of new leadership within the wing."

Tuck leaves the "Grand Slam" Wing to take command as the new commander of Defense Logistics Agency Energy at Fort Belvoir, Va.

The 379th AEW is the largest and most diverse expeditionary wing in the U.S. Air Force Central. It provides combat airpower in support of Operations New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa. The wing and its associate units operate more than 100 aircraft - making it the largest Department of Defense hub in Southwest Asia. Its ability to support a diverse group of airpower makes it central to humanitarian efforts, aeromedical evacuation and mission essential combat power throughout Southwest Asia.