Flying squadron changes hands, says good-bye to historical commander

  • Published
  • By Ms. Meredith Thomas
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The 911th Air Refueling Squadron reached another important milestone last Friday. Following two short yet extremely eventful years, the fledgling 916th Air Refueling Wing squadron celebrated its first change of command ceremony at the fitting hour of 9:11 A.M.

The 911th became the Air Force's first KC-135R active associate squadron here in the spring of 2008 and has, in the brief span of time since, blasted all expectations and honored a profound standard of excellence.

Lt. Col. William Uptmor, exiting commander of the 911th ARS, beamed as he spoke of the squadron's accomplishments, saying, "The squadron's been tremendously successful, and it's not just the squadron, it's the whole 916th team married with the 4th Fighter Wing and the 6th Air Mobility Wing down at MacDill. We fielded a total force integration AMC Rodeo team and we came back with four major awards from that including Best Wing, Best Crew, Best KC-135 Post-flight, and Best KC-135 Load Crew. That's just an amazing accomplishment our first year out of the blocks. And the first year we were eligible we brought home the Gen. Carl Spaatz Trophy for the Best Air Refueling Squadron in Air Mobility."

Indeed, the honors have poured in for the 911th but the squadron's triumphs spread far beyond the trophies and awards. Since its inception, the squadron has taken the 916th Air Refueling Wing from an average of 2,400 flight hours per year to an incredible 9,000 hours flown in 2009. Additionally, 5,000 of those hours were flown in support of overseas contingency operations.

Col. Uptmor said, "That represents about a 16-fold increase in the number of contingency operation hours flown by Reserve aircraft. Since September 11th, [2001] the Active Duty has been putting a lot of hours on its planes. Now we are able to balance the fleet by utilizing Reserve aircraft."

And those KC-135Rs are actively supporting efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan by providing continuous air-to-air refueling for units flying close air support missions and units which are responsible for evacuating injured Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines to Germany where they can receive medical attention.

Ultimately, the squadron's presence at Seymour Johnson has meant the beginning of total integration between the Active Duty and Reserve components.

Col. Uptmor says the value of such an integretation was evident during a recent deployment to Volk Field, Wis. where the 916th ARW prepared for its upcoming Operation Readiness Inspection that will take place in January of 2011.

"It was a totally seamless operation. You walk out on the flight line and you can't tell who's Active Duty and who's Reserve and it doesn't matter. They're all just doing the one mission."

Which is favorable, considering that the ORI represents the biggest challenge for Col. Uptmor's successor, Lt. Col. Bruce "Phil" Heseltine, Jr. Though, Col. Uptmor expects the outcome of the inspection will be no less impressive than the past accolades of the 911th.

"He's got a good team and he will be able to continue on the road that we've laid down for him. My hope is that we go out there and prove our abilities to the Air Mobility Command and come away with an excellent score."

Col. Uptmor handed over the flag to Col. Heseltine on June 18. Before he left though he ensured the crowd knew his expectations and his praise for their work.

"Truth be told, the Reserve and Active Duty were both apprehensive about an active associate to a Reserve wing. Concerns about culture and the blending of those cultures were unfounded; in the end we're a better Air Force for having done this, " he said. "Quite simply, you fix and fly better than anyone else in the Reserve. I am humbled by your dedication and hard work and am proud to have been your commander."

Lt. Col. Uptmor will spend the next year studying at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. From there he hopes to rejoin his wife, a former commander at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. who has just recently been reassigned to the Pentagon.

Col. Heseltine assumes command of 911th ARS after serving at the Pentagon as a speechwriter to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is his first assignment as a commander, but during his change of command speech he made it clear that Seymour Johnson and Goldsboro's reputation are well known throughout the country.

"Hands down, Seymour Johnson is the best base support I have ever seen. Thank you for your kindness and legendary support you give to everyone of your Airmen. The people in this community redefine the term, 'southern hospitality.', Lt. Col. Heseltine said.

"Ten years ago, I flew missions from this ramp as a brand new co-pilot. Since then I've flown other times with the Tigers on Coronet missions and joint exercises. I was, and continue to be, impressed by the high caliber of the maintenance professionals, support personnel, and aviators of the 77th and the 916th. I am truly honored to once again fly with and now serve as a commander in this proud wing."