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Nomads welcome new commander

  • Published
  • By Public Affairs Office
  • 33d Fighter Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  On Jan. 4, the 33d Fighter Wing welcomed its new commander during a change-of-command ceremony here. 

Col. Todd Harmer took command of the 33d FW from Col. Russell Handy in a ceremony presided over by Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander at 9:33 a.m. 

Colonel Harmer, an F-16 command pilot, and former vice commander for the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will be responsible for commanding the more than 2,000 assigned personnel and supporting 2,500 family members. The wing has two fighter squadrons consisting of 54 F-15C/D air superiority aircraft, an air control squadron, an operations support squadron, a maintenance operations squadron, a maintenance squadron, and an aircraft maintenance squadron. 

Colonel Handy heads to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to take command of the 57th Wing.
General North began the ceremony by the thanking Col Handy and the Nomads for all of the hard work they had put in over the past 18 months. 

"Thank you and you families for answering our nation's call," he said. "You are ever faithful, committed and serve daily as wingmen, leaders and warriors...both here at Eglin and around the world." 

He reminded the audience that Colonel Harmer would be the one to lead the 33d Fighter Wing from the F-15C/D Eagle and Air Combat Command to the F-35 Lightning II and Air Education and Training Command. 

"Colonel Harmer your task in the air and on the ground is to take the Nomad wing and your Airmen to the next flight level, while you prepare for the flight transition at Eglin to the F-35 in the future," General North said. 

After Colonel Harmer received his first salute from the wing following the change of command, he thanked the wing and community for the warm welcome he and his family received. He also touched on the upcoming changes that the 33d FW will face. 

"I'm proud to take command of the 33d Fighter Wing and look for to leading the Nomads during this time in its history," he said. 

Colonel Harmer entered the Air Force in 1986 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and has held various operational and staff assignments in the United States, Europe and the Pacific.
As a command pilot he has flown T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon and F-16C Falcon accumulating more than 3,100 flight hours.