6th Air Mobility Wing welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nika Glover
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing
Col. Robert Thomas relinquished command of the 6th Air Mobility Wing during a change of command ceremony to Col. Lawrence Martin Monday. 

Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott III, 18th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for Colonel Thomas' hard work during his tenure as the 6th AMW commander. 

"Just under (two) years ago Colonel Thomas and his family moved to one of the busiest commands in the Air Force," said General Scott. "Under his leadership the 6th Air Mobility Wing's abilities have soared. It continues to accomplish amazing things and set benchmarks for this command." 

The general said the good news is that the Thomas's aren't leaving the Air Mobility Command family. 

Colonel Thomas has been selected for reassignment to Fairchild AFB, Wash., where he will serve as the commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing. 

"I could not think of a better leader to serve at Fairchild," General Scott added. 

Colonel Thomas said it was hard for him to find the right words to say and he just wanted to thank everyone who had made his job at MacDill easier. He also thanked the leaders of the Tampa Bay community for attending and he reflected on his time at MacDill. 

"There aren't very many Air Force wings and there are many more officers who deserve to be in charge of one, so I feel very thankful to have gotten the opportunity to be the commander of the 6th AMW," said Colonel Thomas. 

"I take satisfaction in knowing the wing is in good hands, but I am also excited to be moving on to new opportunities," he said. 

"It's been a pleasure to work with so many great (Airmen) and to be given the opportunity to work with new (Airmen) in the future," he said. "As a commander it just doesn't get any better than to be in command of a wing like this." 

During the ceremony General Scott also spoke of Colonel Martin and what type of leader he knew him to be. 

"Team MacDill get ready," the general said. "You're receiving one of AMC's finest."
He told Colonel Martin that he had the responsibility of maintaining one of the highest of standards and with all the hard work and late nights ahead of him, his time at MacDill would fly by. 

Colonel Martin comes to MacDill after a tour as vice commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia. The colonel brings with him to his new assignment, his wife, Julia and their two sons, Jeff and JJ. 

Colonel Martin entered the Air Force in 1985 as a U.S. Air Force Academy distinguished graduate. He was also a distinguished graduate of both the U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School and the U.S. Marines Corps Command and Staff College and graduated from the U.S. Air War College with highest academic distinction. 

Colonel Martin has served in many diverse positions, including: 350th Air Refueling Squadron, commander, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and United States Air Force Academy, Assistant Professor of History, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Transportation Command Liaison Officer, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. 

He attended undergraduate pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, earning his wings in 1986. Colonel Martin is a command pilot with more than 3,700 hours in the C-130, UV-18B and KC-135. 

There were numerous military leaders and distinguished guests in attendance to bid farewell to Colonel Thomas and welcome Colonel Martin, including Mr. Darryl Smith, Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa who was representing the mayor of Tampa along with many other civic and business leaders from the community. 

Additionally, Airmen from the 6th Air Mobility Wing, the 6th Maintenance Group, the 6th Mission Support Group, the 6th Medical Group and the 6th Operations Group participated in a formation during the ceremony. 

In direct address to his new wing, Colonel Martin said, "You just don't know how happy this Minnesota boy is to be in Tampa. I always wanted to be a good leader and today I get that opportunity on a scale I had only ever dreamed about. I am truly honored to be a part of this and I can't wait to get to work." 

He also added that he looked forward to meeting Team MacDill members and working with the base's associates, partners and community friends.