New leader to assume command at Grissom
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The 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base will soon have a new commander. Col. Van Thai will assume command of the unit during a ceremony next month on the north central Indiana base.
Thai comes to Grissom from Yokota Air Base in Japan, where he served as director of operations and exercises for Fifth Air Force.
He succeeds Col. Summer Fields, who has been serving as commander since last June and was the first female commander of the 434th Air Refueling Wing. She will return to her previous role as the wing’s deputy commander.
The change of command ceremony on Feb. 3 will not be open to the public.
The 434th Air Refueling Wing is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command with nearly 1,900 military, civilian and contractor personnel.
Last year, the majority of the wing’s aircraft was temporarily housed at Fort Wayne International Airport while a $60 million runway renovation project was conducted. The runway was reopened in September, though Grissom said the project won’t be completed until sometime this year.