301st FS salutes new commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Martha Whipple
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Members of the 301st Fighter Squadron saluted a new commander during an assumption of command ceremony here Nov. 3.

Lt. Col. Andrew Lyons received the ceremonial flag which boasts a heritage of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He said he is proud to wear the patch of the historical lineage and to continue the warrior spirit.

He said it is every red-blooded fighter pilot's dream to command a unit like the 301st FS and carry on the legacy of excellence. His goal is to maintain readiness and sustain air dominance because the unit is always on-call to fight America's wars. 

Lyons said winning wars is not solely dependent on F-22 assets, but is attributed to the professionals working seamlessly to ensure 100 percent success and to ensure victory over America's enemies.

Col. Kent Furman, 44th Fighter Group commander and presiding officer for the ceremony, said he is confident in Lyon's ability to pick up where Lt. Col. Robert Buchanan left off.

Lyons is joining the "arranged marriage" of total force integration between the 44th FG Reserve members and the 49th Wing active-duty members. Furman has been with the unit since the first F-22s rolled in, in 2008.

"The definition of total force integration is Holloman Air Force Base," Furman said. "When our Reserve members are working with the active duty, it is undistinguishable who is active and who is Reserve."

Furman said he is proud of the unit and the professionals dedicated to its success. He said he is proud to have Lyons at the 301st FS.