Operations Group commander moves to 22nd Air Force

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The 512th Operations Group Commander bid farewell to the Liberty Wing Jan. 30 to take a position as the Director of Air, Space and Intelligence at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. 

Col. Darrell G. Young will work for 22nd AF Commander Maj. Gen. Martin M. Mazick and serve as a functional manager for operations, working issues for flying squadrons, and intelligence and airlift flight control units. 

Col. Karl A. Schmitkons, commander of the 302nd Operations Group at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., will assume command of the 512th OG during a ceremony slated for March 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the Air Mobility Command Museum. 

Colonel Young describes his departure from the 512th Airlift Wing as bittersweet.
"This has been the best assignment I've had in the Air Force," said Colonel Young, who was commissioned in 1984, served on active duty for 7.5 years, entered the Reserve in 1993 and was activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2002 for a year. "This was my first command, and I'll never forget my time here. 

"I was fortunate to work with a great group of Airmen and civilians because without their support we wouldn't have been able to accomplish what we have in the past two years," said the Colonel. 

Col. Robert H. Shepherd, the 512th Operations Group deputy commander and previous commander of the 326th Airlift Squadron, said he appreciated the mentoring his commander provided him and Colonel Young will be missed. 

"Colonel Young takes his duty to grow the next generation of leaders very seriously, and he is a tremendous role model," said the 22-year Air Force veteran. 

While leaving is not easy, the colonel said he is excited about serving in the Air Force at a different level and learning how things operate at 22nd AF. 

During his tenure as OG commander, the colonel had to overcome some obstacles. Perhaps the biggest hurdle was recovering the group from the aftermath of the April 3, 2006, C-5B crash, which occurred less than a mile from the base's southern perimeter. The 17 people aboard the aircraft survived the impact. Colonel Young arrived on station a month after this incident. 

"I spent my first year trying to get the group through the legal process," he said. This included the Accident Investigation Board, which released that human error was the cause of the accident. 

The wing's next trial was to tackle an Operational Readiness Inspection in 2008. This encompassed more than a year of training and preparation. 

"While preparing for the ORI we were able to build a strong mobility culture in our units and do well on the inspection," he said. "I'm proud of the wing's ORI grade." 

The 512th Airlift Wing brought home an excellent ORI rating, and two OG units, the 512th Airlift Control Flight and the Intelligence section, were outstanding performers. 

Whether it is taking on the ORI or delivering cargo all over the world, the colonel said he attributes the group's success to the effectiveness of the OG leadership team, the group's outstanding Airmen, and the group commanders who worked beside him. 

"I have a great group of squadron commanders, directors of operations, and senior enlisted leaders," he said. "I leave knowing the Operations Group is in good hands and will continue to meet and surpass all future challenges."