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Beale unit officially named 940th Wing

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Luke Johnson
  • 940th Wing Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Air Force Reserve Command wing here officially changed its name to the 940th Wing July 11.

Maj. Gen. Frank Padilla, 10th Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony re-designating the 940th Air Refueling Wing as the 940th Wing. He lauded the wing reservists for embracing their new mission and for their commitment to the total force integration initiative.

"No one has been better than the 940th Wing, teamed with the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, to embrace change and to embrace the total force initiative," General Padilla said. "It has become AFRC's showcase for TFI."

The wing is the first in the command "to embrace the combat capabilities in four major core TFI areas - distributed ground system; high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; air operations center; and Air Force forces operations."

General Padilla quoted the AFRC commander and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force on the exceptional job the 940th Wing has done in adapting to its new mission. He said the new 940th Wing will continue to evolve with ever-changing missions of the Air Force.

"It was an act of wisdom to call it the 940th Wing instead of naming it a reconnaissance wing, command and control wing or ISR wing because we are not constrained by limitations," General Padilla said." Our wing will be able to grow and respond to our country's Air Force missions and requirements, and I am very proud of that."

Col. Jeffrey Mineo, 940th Wing commander, praised the Airmen of the 940th on the outstanding legacy the wing has achieved and thanked them for embracing the wing's new missions.

"Today has a twofold purpose: One is to mark progress on the path to transformation, but we also have to recognize that today commemorates our proud heritage and traditions from over 35 years of history and of safe flying," he said. "There has been no class A mishaps around the Sacramento area. That is a marvelous achievement."

Colonel Mineo asked Airmen who had served with the 940th from Mather AFB, Calif., to McClellan AFB, Calif., to stand and be recognized for their accomplishments and the tradition they bring to the new wing. The wing moved from Mather to McClellan in 1993 and from McClellan to Beale in 1998.

"These people have pioneered the change for us to get us to the point where we are today," Colonel Mineo said. "I relied on these people to carry us through a difficult time."

Although changing from a KC-135 air refueling mission has been difficult, Colonel Mineo said the 940th Airmen have stepped up to ensure success of the wing's new missions.

"In the year-and-a-half that I've been here, I have seen the folks do some amazing things," he said. "I am truly humbled to be part of this major milestone in the history of the 940th."  (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)