JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The 437th Airlift Wing welcomed its new commander during a change of command ceremony June 24, 2016 in Nose Dock 2 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Colonel Jimmy Canlas accepted leadership of the wing from Colonel John Lamontagne, who had been in command since May 22, 2014.
With the assumption of command comes the responsibility of leading one of the Air Force's largest C-17 Globemaster III wings. The 437 AW provides a significant portion of Air Mobility Command's global reach airlift capability.
"A lot of great things are going on here at Charleston and please know that I am fully dedicated to building upon the incredible legacy of the 437th Airlift Wing," said Canlas.
Canlas is no stranger to the 437 AW and JB Charleston because he had served as the wing's vice commander since July 2014. He is a command pilot with more than 4,100 hours in the C-21A, KC-135R Stratotanker and C-17A Globemaster III aircraft.
This will be his third command position. Canlas previously commanded the 45th Airlift Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. from May 2008 to March 2010 and commanded the 385th Air Expeditionary Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
"It was inspiring to watch you perform for the last two years and I can't wait to see what the next two years will bring," said Canlas.
Lieutenant General Samuel D. Cox, 18th Air Force commander, was the presiding officer of the ceremony in which Lamontagne relinquished his command, as the unit's guidon was passed to Canlas.
Lamontagne "raised the bar really high," said Cox. "When the tough missions come the first place as the 18th Air Force commander, I'm going to look is the 437th Airlift Wing because I know they will get the job done."
Today marked the end of Lamontagne's third tour in Charleston. He served previously as the 15th Airlift Squadron assistant operations officer and operations officer from June 2007 to April 2008. Later, he took command of the 15th AS, a position he held until June 2010.
As the wing transitions to new leadership, Lamontagne shared parting words with his former Airmen.
"To the men and women of the 437th Airlift Wing, thank you for what you do day in and day out," said Lamontagne. "This team is world class, I hope you had as much fun as I did because I had the time of my life."
Lamontagne's next assignment is at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. as the Air Mobility Command deputy Director of Operations.
With the 437 AW under his charge, Canlas said he was pleased to step in and to help be a pillar of stability in a world full of uncertainty.
"This will allow our wing to focus all of our energy on where it counts the most: caring for our Airmen, executing the mission and fostering a culture of dignity and respect."
Canlas, a native of Port Hueneme, Calif., graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1992 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force.
Before coming to JB Charleston, Canlas was the Chief of U. S. European Command's Deployment and Distribution Operations Center at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
During his comments, Canlas repeatedly expressed his desire to serve the men and women of the 437 AW.
"I stand here in awe of all of you, the men and women of the 437th Airlift Wing--the world's best who operate, maintain, generate and load the backbone of our nation's airlift. I am humbled to be your commander and honored to be your servant."