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U.S. Air Force Col. Adrienne Williams relinquished command of the 52st Air Mobility Operations Wing to Col. Dan Cooley during a ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, July 7.
Maj. Gen. Mark D. Camerer, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, presided over the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for William’s efforts during her tenure as the commander.
“The Expeditionary Center enterprise takes pride in its ability to advance our global response network to meet the full spectrum of emerging threats,” said Camerer. “With Col. Williams at the helm, she led the 521st in responding to crises we never could have foreseen, including shortages in baby formula and the largest non-combatant military airlift evacuation in U.S. history.”
Williams will follow-on to be the vice commander of the 18th Air Force, located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Camerer also praised the wing for how it has built airpower from the ground up and accelerated the global mobility support system. While great progress has been made under Williams’ leadership he’s confident the en route will continue to evolve and meet Joint Force needs during Cooley’s tenure.
“Col. Cooley already has a proven track record from his time down at the 515th, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he’ll continue to propel the men and women of the 521st forward.”
Cooley most recently served as vice commander, then Commander of the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, headquartered on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, executing airlift and air refueling missions throughout the Indo-Pacific theater. Addressing 521st AMOW Airmen for the first time as commander, Cooley expressed gratitude and excitement for the coming years.
“I’ve watched with admiration from the other side of the globe as you tackled Operations Allies Refuge and Welcome, the Ukraine crisis, and numerous other challenges, on top of all the normal Transportation Command operational requirements,” Cooley said. “You know what it takes to succeed in this AOR as you’ve proven it time and time again.”
Cooley concluded the ceremony by reminding 521st AMOW Airmen that what they do matters.
“You, the Airmen of the 5-2-1, are the key to our nation’s success during this pivotal time,” Cooley said. “You’ve made rapid global mobility look easy and there is a reason people depend on you time and time again.”
Cooley is the 8th commander to lead the wing since its activation in September 2008.
As 521st AMOW commander, Cooley is responsible for nearly 2,000 deployed and permanent party Total Force Mobility Airmen organized in two groups, nine squadrons, with 19 operating locations spanning 5,000 miles across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
