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451st Air Expeditionary Group changes command

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  With the symbolic passing of the unit flag, the 451st Air Expeditionary group changed command during a ceremony attended by Afghan and Coalition partners Dec. 13 in Southern Afghanistan. 

Col. Luther Turner, who served as 451st AEG commander since Jan. 9, relinquished command to Col. Theodore Osowski. 

The 451st AEG provides medical evacuation capability throughout Afghanistan with the HH-60 Pave Hawk. The group also launches and recovers unmanned aerial systems. The UASs are used as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, as well as strike aircraft, and can perform line-of-sight missions in support of airbase defense, intelligence and operations preparation, detection and destruction of improvised explosive devices, and direct-action raids. 

"(Colonel Turner) has definitely been the right man for the job," said Brig. Gen. Mike Holmes, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander and presiding officer for the change of command ceremony. "He's got unmatched expertise with unmanned aerial systems. He's worked really hard to learn the helicopter mission. He's also been a joint and combined innovator through the line-of-sight missions that have both defended the base and supported the local ground commanders." 

During his nearly one year as commander, Colonel Turner led more than 400 Airmen in the successful execution of 2,356 medical evacuations and armed overwatch missions from an expeditionary airfield. The key focus of his command was building a partnership with Joint, Coalition, and other agency forces to integrate UASs into the fight. He increased ramp space by 33 percent for ISR aircraft and led the design and construction of a new launch and recovery element at a forward operating base. The UAS teams he created executed 122 kinetic strikes, resulting in more than 300 confirmed enemy kills, a 73 percent reduction in IEDs in the region, and three counter narcotics interdictions netting more than 286 tons of illegal substances. For these accomplishments, Colonel Turner was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. 

"The privilege to command is a combat zone is what every warrior dreams of," Colonel Turner said after receiving his Bronze Star. "The 451st's role is to protect and enable. To use the words of some of my coalition partners, we provide airpower and air effects in several different forms to protect and enable the Afghans, the Royal Canadian Regiment, the 101st, just to name a few; and enable them in separating the insurgents from the population. 

"It is easy to tie our Predators, Reapers, and HH-60 medevac missions to those ideals, but make no mistake, the enablers are our OSI team, our defenders, services, communications flight, religious support team, civil engineers, safety, stan/eval, our port dawgs, vehicle maintenance, ammo guys, all our LRF guys, the RMS guys - they are all doing amazing things each and every day." 

Colonel Turner is heading to the Pentagon where he will serve as director of operational training for Headquarters Air Force.