LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
A former deputy commander of the 1st Operations Group assumed command of the 1st Fighter Wing here April 30.
Col. Mark Barrett succeeded Brig. Gen. Burt Field, who will take command of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq.
"I'm honored and humbled to be standing here today," Colonel Barrett said during the ceremony. "It's great to be back at Langley."
It is the third time Colonel Barrett has been assigned here, and Lt. Gen. Gary North, 9th Air Force commander, noted during the ceremony that this assignment will be a "special honor that will be a highlight of your career."
"Yours will initially be a wing in transition," said General North, who officiated the ceremony. "Your mission orders are quite simple; execute all the assigned tasks, take care of your people, keep the flight plan open, keep the wing on an upward vector and always return to base on glide path."
Colonel Barrett earned his commission in 1979 through ROTC at North Carolina State University and has served as a T-33 instructor pilot, joint staff operations officer, European Command Division in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff and deputy commander of the 1st Operations Group here. He has also served on the Air Staff as chief, Combat Forces Division and chief of the "Engine Room," Directorate of Programs, Headquarters Air Force. Colonel Barrett is a command pilot with more than 4,200 hours in the T-33, T-37, T-38 F-15C/D, and the F-22A.
In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at N.C. State, he earned a master's degree in Aeronautical Science Technology at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. He also graduated from Top Gun school in 1985 for the T-38 and again in 1985 for the F-15 as an outstanding graduate.
During his 27 years of service, Colonel Barrett has earned a Legion of Merit, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and several joint commendation medals.