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Battle Creek Air National Guard Base to welcome new commander

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Andrew Layton
  • 110th Wing

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Col. Shawn Holtz will assume command of the 110th Wing, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Mich., in an on-base ceremony June 8, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

Holtz will succeed Col. Bryan Teff, who will be promoted to a new assignment as Chief of Staff, Michigan Air National Guard, Michigan National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing. Teff has led Battle Creek’s 110th Wing since December 2015.

“I am honored to be given this opportunity to lead the 110th Wing and I thank Col. Teff and his predecessors who have made this Wing the incredibly successful organization it is today,” Holtz said. “I am here to enable the amazing men and women of the 110th and provide them with the tools to succeed in their mission and make the 110th an amazing place to serve.”

Holtz has longstanding ties to Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he was previously assigned to Battle Creek Air National Guard Base as an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot from 1995 to 2009. With the 110th, Holtz deployed six times to the Middle East, including a stint in 2003 during which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross for meritorious service under fire. Since 2009, Holtz has served a variety of command responsibilities at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, including 107th Fighter Squadron Commander, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Commander, 127th Operations Group Commander, and 127th Mission Support Group Commander.

“Coming back to the 110th is like coming home,” Holtz said. “As the 110th Wing Commander, I am excited to be an ambassador to the community, building stronger, more collaborative relationships. I will foster an environment of inclusion and growth, giving all Airmen the opportunity to achieve their goals.”

The change in command occurs as the 110th Wing continues to secure new growth missions that have preserved the base’s operational relevance for the foreseeable future. Since 2015, the Wing has added more than 100 new positions, including a robust Cyber Defense squadron and a Headquarters Air Force-level Joint Task Force mission. The base’s other missions include remote support of MQ-9 Reaper flying operations, Agile Combat Support capabilities, and a Command & Control planning cell supporting U.S. Air Forces Europe – Air Forces Africa.

In 2017, the 110th Wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in recognition of its sustained excellence supporting MQ-9 and Cyber operations worldwide. The base had previously been slated to close under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission in 2005.

According to Teff, the 110th Wing’s transformation is creditable to the men and women who make up the organization.

“What has always impressed me about the men and women of the 110th Wing is their tremendous professionalism, resiliency, commitment to our missions, and passion for excellence,” said Teff. “I’m very proud of the work the men and women of the 110th did to capitalize on opportunity and establish relevance and credibility in our new missions. We are now truly an operational Wing with in-demand missions and an outstanding future.”