LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
The 27th Fighter Squadron's director of operations took command of the 94th FS "Spads" at a change-of-command ceremony here March 23.
Former commander Lt. Col. Dirk Smith handed command to 94th FS' new commander, Lt. Col. Kevin Fesler.
Colonel Smith will remain at Langley as the 1st Operations Group deputy operations group commander. In July, he will leave for Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., to attend Air War College.
Colonel Fesler, who has flown more than 2,900 hours in the F-15E and F-22A, flew in Northern and Southern Watch with more than 850 hours in combat. He received his commission at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., and spent the early half of his career as an aircraft maintenance officer.
In July 1996, Colonel Fesler worked as an evaluator and instructor pilot at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. He also served in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, working as the fighter program manager and operations officer for the 336 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in Air Expeditionary Force nine and 10.
In 2005, he was assigned to the 1st FW as the chief of safety.
The new commander's awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
The Indiana native will be the third commander ever to lead an F-22 Raptor squadron.
The 94th FS, also known as the Hat-in-the-Ring squadron, is home to the "Ace of Aces" Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker in World War I, and has a history that began Aug. 20, 1917.
The 94th marked another milestone in January when the squadron completed Langley's F-22A fleet.