OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Air Force Brig. Gen. Maurice H. Forsyth became 51st Fighter Wing commander in a ceremony Monday at South Korea’s biggest air base.
Forsyth replaces Brig. Gen. William L. Holland, who had commanded the wing, known as “The Mustangs,” since March 2002.
Stationed 48 miles south of Korea’s Demilitarized Zone, the Mustangs’ F-16 fighter jets and A-10 attack planes are the U.S. Air Force’s most forward-based fighter wing.
In a voice sometimes choked with emotion, Holland bade farewell to the wing, saying that of all those at the ceremony, he was especially proud to see the Mustangs standing in formation.
Holland recalled how, when he’d taken command last year, he’d challenged the wing to become the most combat-capable in the Air Force — a goal he said the Mustangs achieved through a very high tempo of training flights and exercises.
Forsyth acknowledged the wing’s achievements under Holland, saying that fitness of body, mind, and spirit was crucial to continuing the wing’s combat readiness.
Forsyth previously commanded the Theater Air and Space Operations Center for U.S. Air Forces Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Holland moves to an assignment in the Middle East, the Air Force said.
