386 EOG commander receives bubbly fairwell

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Col. Mark Czelusta, outgoing 386th Expeditionary Operations Group commander, taxis the runway in a C-130 H1 during his final flight here July 4, 2010. Colonel Czelusta said farewell as Col. Scott Brewer assumed command of the 386th EOG. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Laura Turner)

386 EOG commander receives bubbly fairwell

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Col. Mark Czelusta, outgoing commander of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, ducks to avoid a bubbly welcome from members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, who doused him with non-alcoholic champagne after he completed his final flight here July 4, 2010. Colonel Czelusta said farewell as Col. Scott Brewer assumed command of the 386th EOG. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Laura Turner)

EOG commander receives bubbly farewell

Published July 10, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Col. Mark Czelusta, outgoing commander of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, received a bubbly send-off after completing his last flight at an undisclosed air base here July 4.

After taxiing his C-130 Hercules through a shower of water, sprayed into the air by fire trucks on the base flightline, Colonel Czelusta parked the aircraft and stepped out the main crew door to greet dozens of expectant colleagues. They immediately doused him from head to toe with squirt guns, water cannons and bottles of non-alcoholic champagne.

The scene was a final farewell for Colonel Czelusta, who had just completed his last sortie in the Central Command AOR as commander of the 386th EOG. A long-standing tradition in the Air Force community, the "fini flight" ensures that departing pilots don't escape the flightline dry.

After a year of leading more than 800 Airmen to the 386th EOG's highest operational effectiveness rate to date, Colonel Czelusta relinquished command to Col. Scott Brewer during a change of command ceremony here July 6.

The 386th EOG is responsible for executing premier tactical airlift and precision electronic combat attack throughout the U.S. Central Command's area of operations, directly supporting warfighters who prosecute operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.