60th Air Mobility Wing welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kristen Rohrer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Brig. Gen. (Sel) Mark Dillon, relinquished command of the 60th Air Mobility Wing to Col. James Vechery at a change-of-command ceremony July 17. 

Maj. Gen. Winfield W. Scott III, 18th Air Force commander, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., presided over the ceremony. 

Colonel Vechery previously served as the 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas from February 2008 to July 2009. 

Colonel Vechery was commissioned in 1988 following graduation from the University of Maryland. 

His assignments have included serving as the MAJCOM Regional Director of Operations, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Chief of Airlift Manning, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Programmer for C-5 Mobility Forces at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and Chief Air Force Legislative Affairs, United States Transportation Command. 

Colonel Vechery is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours in the T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, C-5A/B Galaxy, KC-135R/T Stratotanker and C-37A Gulfstream. 

Colonel Vechery spoke about the opportunity of taking the reins as the new commander. 

"Thank you for being here to share in this special event. I am extremely honored and humbled to be standing before you today as the new commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing and Team Travis," he said. 

"My focus as your commander is simple: One family -- executing the mobility mission -- with excellence to guarantee a bright future!" 

"I would like to thank each member of Team Travis for your selfless devotion to duty. You have a rich heritage of 'Golden Bear Excellence' and I am extremely excited to be a part of this amazing team and continue this legacy of excellence. Simply put, each one of you are a critical part of the Team Travis family which is now our family and we look forward to serving with you all." 

Outgoing commander, General (Sel) Dillon thanked Team Travis' Airmen and expressed gratitude for his work as the 60th AMW commander over the past year. 

"American Airmen from the 60th Air Mobility Wing, thank you all for serving our great nation. It has been my highest honor to serve as your commander. May God continue to bless you all, our U.S. Air Force and these United States of America." 

General (Sel) Dillon will move on to become the commander, 86th Airlift Wing and Kaiserslautern Military Community Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.