Southwest Asia -- Brigadier General John T. Quintas, the commander of the Air Expeditionary Wing, completed his final flight Thursday marking the end of his command.
An aviator Air Force tradition, the fini flight is the last flight with the wing or squadron in which fellow aircrew, friends and family members hose down the pilot with water as the aviator exits the aircraft.
Under Quintas’s leadership, the wing contributed and supported numerous missions and operations throughout Southwest Asia, including a year that marked the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces.
He was responsible for the wing's air refueling, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air battle management, control and reporting center, ground attack, air support, theatre security cooperation and airlift mission in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia.
At a ceremony following his fini flight, he thanked the men and women of the AEW for their dedication and service during his tenure.
“It’s the ultimate compliment when your Airmen, as busy as they are, take time to come out and be a part of a great moment. It’s a real honor,” said Quintas. “This has been the opportunity of a lifetime for me; it’s been everything you could have imagined. I’m so grateful for all the Airmen that have served with me, it’s been a privilege.”
Quintas encouraged those in attendance to continue to stay committed to the mission and reminded them that the sacrifice made by each member is contributing to something bigger than them.
During his career as a master navigator, Quintas accrued more than 3,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft, including more than 700 combat hours supporting Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel and Inherent Resolve.
Following the change of command ceremony on June 30, Quintas will assume duties as the Deputy Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Asia), Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
(Editor’s note: Due to safety and security reasons unit designators were removed.)