JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – U.S. Air Force Col. Matthew Altman took command of 633d Air Base Wing from Col. Gregory Beaulieu, during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, July 21, 2023. Maj. Gen. Michael G. Koscheski, 15th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony.
“Today marks a significant milestone for the 633d Air Base Wing as we bid farewell to Col. Gregory Beaulieu,” said Koscheski. “We want to recognize your exemplary leadership that has created a tradition of excellence here at JBLE. Beaulieu fostered a culture of inclusivity, leading initiatives to uplift Airmen, Soldiers, and their families through professional development courses and community building events… As you embark on retirement, we express our deepest gratitude for your leadership and your profound impact on the 633d Air Base Wing.”
Additionally, Koscheski expressed how Altman’s leadership and experience is a good fit for JBLE as it continues forward.
“Our Airmen deserve continued outstanding leadership, which is what they will get with Col. Matthew Altman,” said Koscheski. “Col. Altman is a leader who embodies excellence and innovation. [His dedication to the service], combined with his extensive command and civil engineering experience, perfectly positions him to lead the 633d Wing into a future of evolving challenges and opportunities.”
Altman mentioned how excited he is to step into his new role as the base commander.
“We could not be more excited to finally get here and become immersed in this incredible community supporting so many critical Air Force and Army initiatives,” said Altman. “[Joint Base Langley-Eustis] is iconic with a legacy that makes others desire to be here… By leaving it all out on the field, crossbow nation is going to do a lot of winning- winning as teammates, winning as Soldiers, Airmen and families, winning for the Air Force and Army and winning for our nation. We’re all in the field now together. Let’s make it count.”
Beaulieu leaves behind a significant legacy as he retires from the military. As commander of the only Air Combat Command Joint base, he led over 4,300 personnel across two four-star commands, five Wings, seven Brigades and 64 mission partners. From expanding Langley’s critical infrastructure capacity to planning and executing two F-22A Immediate Response Force deployments.
“To the men and women of the 633d Air Base Wing crossbow nation, thank you for coming to work every day and jobbing out, working out, and speaking out,” said Beaulieu. “I have asked you to execute the mission at a very high level and you have delivered time after time. For you, ensure that JBLE remains the nation’s premier power projection platform. On day one, I charged you with three things, defend the base, support the fight, and take care of Airmen, Soldiers, and their families. You absolutely crushed it. It has been the greatest honor and privilege of my career to be here.”
The change of command was also the last official event for Chief Master Sgt. Maribeth Ferrer as the outgoing 633d command chief and the first official event for Chief Master Sgt. David Kolcun as the incoming command chief. Ferrer will become the next Air Force Sustainment Center command chief at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.