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by 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Members from the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing and 435th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed their new commander during an assumption of command ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Aug. 16.
Col. Daniel C. Clayton assumed command of the two wings during a ceremony officiated by Maj. Gen. John M. Wood, Third Air Force commander.
Wood welcomed Clayton, highlighted the units’ legacy, and described the reason he felt the former A-10 pilot, forward air controller, joint terminal attack controller and weapons school instructor is the right fit for the future of the mission.
“The men and women in front of us are forward deployed to Europe, they are forward deployed to Africa, and in most cases, we take them from their garrison and forward deploy them again.” Wood said. “I’ve seen him deliver perfection working high-level projects for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He can get the mission done, and he cares about people first and foremost.”
Clayton presented his vision for the future of the 435th AGOW.
“My vision for the wing is lean forward,” he said. “By lean forward, I mean be proactive. By lean forward, I mean recognize changes in your operating environment and have a bias for action. By lean forward, I mean strive to get incrementally better every day, both as individuals and as organizations. We must get better every day.”
As the new commander, Clayton will serve the two wings, which provide combatant commanders with battlefield and expeditionary Airmen capable of responding to humanitarian and contingency operations throughout the world.
