Luke commander heading up forces in Iraq

The commander of the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base has been installed as the commander of the 506th Air Expeditionary Group at Kirkuk Regional Air Base in Iraq.

Airmen, soldiers and Iraqi air force leadership convened to welcome Col. Richard Scobee during a change of command ceremony April 30 in Iraq.

Scobee took command of the group from Col. Timothy Strawther, who will return to his permanent assignment as Air Education and Training Command Graduate Flying Training Division chief at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

During his farewell speech, Strawther hailed Scobee as the right man for the job.

"It's not often you have the opportunity to provide input for who your replacement will be, but I was asked and advised it be Col. Scobee," Strawther said. "He is the perfect intersection of personality, capability, experience and energy, and he arrived at the right time for this part of Kirkuk's evolution."

Strawther also thanked 506th AEG airmen for their service while deployed and putting forth their best effort during his command.

"Thanks for stepping up when your country needed you - every one of you is a volunteer in one way or another," Strawther said. "It wasn't always easy but making it happen here was the right thing to do, and we made a difference in continuing to move this part of Iraq in the right direction."

During his first speech as commander, Scobee emphasized the importance of airmen to overall mission accomplishment in Iraq.

"Interoperability and coordination is crucial here at Kirkuk, and we all depend on each other for assistance, welfare and safety," Scobee said. "The lives of our airmen, soldiers and civilian counterparts depend on our efforts - it is our time to contribute."

Scobee also mentioned how the group's makeup of active-duty, Air Force Reserve and National Guard airmen is an example of total force success.

"To the airmen of the 506th AEG - I'm impressed by your seamless integration as a total force," he added. "We are one Air Force fulfilling our number one goal."

As Scobee closed out his first address as commander, he gave thanks to Strawther for delivering a unit that is hitting on all cylinders and also reminded airmen to stay focused on the mission at hand.

"I look forward to continuing the relations here that Col. Strawther has built," he said. "After walking around for just a little while, I've seen the tremendous accomplishments this past rotation has achieved under his leadership. This is a steady race and we must finish."

Scobee graduated from the Air Force Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in 1986. He is a command pilot with more than 3,800 total flying hours and 3,200 flying hours in the F-16.