48th Fighter Wing in UK Welcomes New Commander

The 48th Fighter Group, based at RAF Lakenheath, held a changeover ceremony on July 10th to welcome new Commander Col. Jason Camilletti, whilst thanking and bidding farewell to former Commander Col. William Marshall.

The ceremony brought together guests from local communities, partners from the RAF, and Airmen of Liberty Wing via livestream to see the change of command take place.

During his inaugural address, new Commander Col. Camillettii said that "We will continue to ensure that the Airmen from RAF Lakenheath are always ready to own the skies, we will prioritize surety and conventional readiness with an emphasis on the high-end fight, and we will continue to make preparations for the arrival of our first F-35A Lightning II late next year. The enduring strategic impact of bedding down that aircraft in Europe will be a game changer. One that our adversaries fear and our friends anxiously await."

Major General Randall Reed, 3rd Air Force commander, who presided over the ceremony, also paid tribute to the work of outgoing Commander, Col. William Marshall. Addressing Col. Marshall, Reed said "The Liberty Wing, under your leadership, has looped through four combatant commands in the midst of a global pandemic. You have excelled at taking care of the wing and the families, but it’s time for you to walk away with the rush of knowing, ‘you did it,’."

During Marshall's tenure at the helm, Airmen of Liberty Wing undertook more than 21,000 sorties, including over 46,000 flying hours, and deployed 5,600 personnel across 26 countries.

Marshall, who now moves on to become 3rd Air Force commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, thanked the Airmen of the 48th Fighter Wing in his remarks. "Thank you to all the men and women of the Liberty Wing for what you’ve done. If you empower your people and have good people working for you, they will do tremendous things. It’s been an honor of a lifetime. We will miss you all."

Looking to the future, new Commander Camilletti said "I am honored to lead and serve the men and women of this wing. I can promise you that team Liberty will continue to lead from the front as United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s premiere combat wing."

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