FRESNO AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. -- U.S. Air Force Major General Gregory Jones, California Air National Guard commander, officiated a change of command ceremony October 9, 2020 at the 144th Fighter Wing where Col. Troy Havener assumed command as the 144th FW commander.
Outgoing commander, Col. Jeremiah Cruz, relinquished command of the Wing and will be assuming a position at California National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Sacramento, California as the California Military Department's Director of Operations and Air Expeditionary commander.
"It was an incredible honor to be a part of this team," said Cruz, "I'm extremely excited for what the future and Col. Havener has in store for you. I cannot wait to hear about the amazing accomplishments that you guys will achieve. It was a privilege to serve and I could not be prouder."
During the ceremony, Col. Havener spoke about some of his areas of priority he and his leadership staff would like to focus on to ensure the wing's readiness.
"One of those priority areas we'll be focusing on, is our culture," said Havener, "Culture of dignity and respect, a culture of inclusiveness, a culture that is about action, it's about contribution to solutions. Culture that values inclusiveness and bringing the best out of every member of the team into solving problems."
Havener served as the ANG advisor and U.S. Air Force Warfare Center Staff at Nellis Air Force Base prior to becoming the 144th FW commander.