615th CRW welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Tech. St. Donald Osborn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 615th Contingency Response Wing welcomed its second commander during a change of command ceremony Dec. 19.

Brig. Gen. Mark Stearns, 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force commander, presided over the ceremony in which Col. Anthony Hinen took command from Col. Timothy Grosz.

Colonel Grosz took command of the 615th CRW in April 2005. At that time, it was only the second contingency response wing in the Air Force.

"We all understand that the formation of a new wing is no easy task, it takes a tremendous amount of detail," said General Stearns. "This is a job well done and you will be greatly missed."

During his tenure, Colonel Grosz guided the wing through missions that included natural disaster relief, contingency response exercises and developmental processes.

"You can all be proud of what you have accomplished, and what you will accomplish in the future," Colonel Grosz told 615th CRW members. "My wife and I will truly miss each and every one of you."

Colonel Grosz will now become the Assistant to the Director of Operations, Air Mobility Command Staff, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.,

Colonel Hinen, the former Senior Director of Operations, Tanker Airlift Control Center for 18th Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours in the C-17, EC-135, KC-135 and T-37 aircraft.

His previous assignments include KC-135 Combat Crew Training School instructor duty, command of the 55th Air Refueling Squadron at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., deputy command of the 6th Operations Group at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., vice command of both the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. and the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, and two tours in the Pentagon.

During his 25 years of service, Colonel Hinen has earned the Vice President's Hammer Award for Reinventing Government, the Legion of Merit, eight Meritorious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal and an Air Force Achievement Medal. He also was an exchange student at the National Defense University in Islamabad, Pakistan.

"I am trilled and excited to be here," Colonel Hinen said, he then thanked Gen. Duncan McNabb, Air Mobility Command commander, Maj. Gen. James Hawkins, 18th Air Force commander, and General Stearns for the opportunity to command such an outstanding wing. In addition, he thanked Colonel Grosz and his wife, Wally, for their hard work and accomplishments.

In response to a fussy child during the ceremony, Colonel Hinen said "kids are always welcome ... they represent our future and the freedoms those of us in uniform are privileged to defend."

He closed by reporting to General Stearns, "Sir, I'm ready to start work."