JBMDL welcomes new EOS commander

  • Published
  • By Maj. Tania Bryan
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Col. Thomas “TJ” O’Connell relinquished command of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School to Col. Mona Alexander during a change of command ceremony held at Grace Peterson Hall here June 5.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Bence, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, presided over the ceremony, and took the opportunity to welcome Alexander and highlight the accomplishments of the EOS Airmen under the previous commander.

“The Expeditionary Operations School continues to refine what it brings to the fight and has become the service’s premier one-stop-shop for expeditionary combat skills training and providing ‘Airpower … from the ground up,’” Bence said. “To the men and women of the EOS … you run an impeccable organization preparing our Airmen and warriors to meet the needs on the front line.”

During his last remarks as a group commander, O’Connell prided the organization on their ability to effectively accomplish their mission.

“You have done amazing things the past two years, and you’ll continue to do great things,” O’Connell said. “It’s Rapid Global Mobility that makes (the United States) a global superpower, this schoolhouse is what enables that, because without this training that Rapid Global Mobility just falls apart.”

O’Connell will assume his new role as the U.S. Air Force Element Commander and Business Information Manager at Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.

Alexander, who previously served as the deputy commander of the 621st Contingency Response Group, now leads the group which trains nearly 43,000 in-resident and distance learning students annually.

Alexander said she is thankful for the opportunity to work for a group of truly outstanding Airmen while executing a strategic mission for the nation and Air Mobility Command.

“Airmen, men and women of the USAF Expeditionary Operations School, I’m thrilled to join this awesome team, our mission is diverse and exciting,” Alexander said. “I am motivated and humbled about what lies ahead, and I will give you my very best as we move forward.”

The USAF Expeditionary Operations School is the Air Force’s Center of Excellence for mobility and expeditionary operations skills training and Air Mobility Command’s provider of global reach and support to the mobility enterprise.