New 910th commander pledges strong support for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan


By SEAN BARRON

news@vindy.com

VIENNA

From what Col. Stephen J. “Fritz” Linsenmeyer has heard, one of the many benefits of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station is the tremendous community support it enjoys.

Linsenmeyer will be in a great position to test the veracity of what others have told him. He took charge of the 910th Airlift Wing during a 30-minute change-of-command welcoming ceremony Sunday at the station. The air base is home to the 910th.

“My main priority is to support the war fighters [in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere], whatever it takes,” he said after the event.

Another big goal is to get the base ready for an upcoming inspection, the new leader added.

Several hundred reservists and civilians attended the afternoon ceremony at which Linsenmeyer assumed charge of the 910th from Col. Udo Karl McGregor, who took an assignment March 27 as commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Force Base near Riverside, Calif.

Linsenmeyer said he is also planning to send 910th personnel on an Air Expedition Force mission this summer to Africa, in part because of an al-Qaida presence in Somalia. Other primary reasons for the trip are to move cargo and personnel for a new combat command (AFRICOM) and to build relations in some African countries, he explained.

During the ceremony, McGregor, who assumed command of the 910th Wing in July 2007, praised his fellow officers, reservists and maintenance staff, partly by extolling what he said is their “wonderful work ethic.”

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.

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