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505th Command and Control Wing News

Col. McKinzie assumes command of 505th CCW

  • Published
  • By Jodi L. Jordan
  • Public Affairs
Hurlburt Field, Fla. --  The Air Force's 505th Command and Control Wing here welcomed a new commander at a change of command ceremony here April l7. Col. Edward "Tank" McKinzie, formerly the Wing's vice commander, took command of the more than 800-person organization from Col. John N.T. Shanahan, who leaves Hurlburt Field to command the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Neb.

The 505th CCW, although headquartered here, is an Air Combat Command Wing, and is aligned under the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. It is the only Air Force Wing dedicated to operational-level command and control.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, commander of the USAFWC, officiated at the ceremony, which was held at the 505th Training Squadron. General Hoog praised the men and women of the 505th, and emphasized the importance of the Wing's mission.

Outgoing commander Colonel Shanahan thanked the men and women of Team 505th, and also predicted a bright future for the 505th with Colonel McKinzie as commander. "Colonel McKinzie is a true command and control visionary," Colonel Shanahan said. "Since he arrived here, he's been a dynamo, eagerly tackling the thorniest challenges. I know he will lead the Wing to even greater successes."

As commander, Colonel McKinzie is responsible for nearly 900 Airmen, civilians and contractors who work for the 505th CCW. They organization is headquartered here, but has people from Alaska to South Florida. The wing is charged with improving and standardizing tactics, training, testing, exercises, and experimentation for command of air and space power in the joint and coalition environments. Among its many other missions, the wing is the lead agency for integrating command and control processes across the Air Force. Unique in its structure, the 505th CCW comprises the 505th Training Group here, the 505th Operations Group at Nellis AFB, Nev., the 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland AFB, N.M., and 505th CCW Detachment 1 at Fort Leavenworth, Kans.

Colonel McKinzie received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in 1988. During his career he has served on the Joint Staff, Central Command staff, 7th Air Force Staff, as a squadron commander, an operations officer, a combat plans officer, an instructor/evaluator air battle manager, and was part of the JSTARS initial cadre responsible for delivering the first operational JSTARS aircraft to the Combat Air Force. He is a master air battle manager with over 4,500 hours in the E-3 Sentry and E-8 JSTARS.

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Col. McKinzie assumes command of 505th CCW

  • Published
  • By Jodi L. Jordan
  • Public Affairs
Hurlburt Field, Fla. --  The Air Force's 505th Command and Control Wing here welcomed a new commander at a change of command ceremony here April l7. Col. Edward "Tank" McKinzie, formerly the Wing's vice commander, took command of the more than 800-person organization from Col. John N.T. Shanahan, who leaves Hurlburt Field to command the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Neb.

The 505th CCW, although headquartered here, is an Air Combat Command Wing, and is aligned under the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. It is the only Air Force Wing dedicated to operational-level command and control.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, commander of the USAFWC, officiated at the ceremony, which was held at the 505th Training Squadron. General Hoog praised the men and women of the 505th, and emphasized the importance of the Wing's mission.

Outgoing commander Colonel Shanahan thanked the men and women of Team 505th, and also predicted a bright future for the 505th with Colonel McKinzie as commander. "Colonel McKinzie is a true command and control visionary," Colonel Shanahan said. "Since he arrived here, he's been a dynamo, eagerly tackling the thorniest challenges. I know he will lead the Wing to even greater successes."

As commander, Colonel McKinzie is responsible for nearly 900 Airmen, civilians and contractors who work for the 505th CCW. They organization is headquartered here, but has people from Alaska to South Florida. The wing is charged with improving and standardizing tactics, training, testing, exercises, and experimentation for command of air and space power in the joint and coalition environments. Among its many other missions, the wing is the lead agency for integrating command and control processes across the Air Force. Unique in its structure, the 505th CCW comprises the 505th Training Group here, the 505th Operations Group at Nellis AFB, Nev., the 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland AFB, N.M., and 505th CCW Detachment 1 at Fort Leavenworth, Kans.

Colonel McKinzie received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in 1988. During his career he has served on the Joint Staff, Central Command staff, 7th Air Force Staff, as a squadron commander, an operations officer, a combat plans officer, an instructor/evaluator air battle manager, and was part of the JSTARS initial cadre responsible for delivering the first operational JSTARS aircraft to the Combat Air Force. He is a master air battle manager with over 4,500 hours in the E-3 Sentry and E-8 JSTARS.