Col. Michael Smith Takes Command of 174th Attack Wing on Sunday, April 3

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Col. Michael Smith

HANCOCK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SYRACUSE,, NY (04/01/2016)(readMedia)-- New York Air National Guard Col. Michael R. Smith, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will take command of the 174th Attack Wing during a change of command ceremony here on Sunday, April 2.

He replaces Col. Greg Semmel who has led the wing since 2012, and will be reassigned to New York Air National Guard Headquarters.

Members of the media are invited to cover this event.

WHO: Col. Michael R. Smith, the incoming commander, Col. Greg Semmel, the outgoing commander and Major General Anthony German, the commander of the New York Air National Guard.

WHAT: A traditional military change of command ceremony during which Semmel, the outgoing commander, will transfer the wing's colors to German, the commander of the New York Air National Guard. German, in turn, will transfer the colors to Smith, representing the change of responsibility and authority for the men and women of the 174th Attack Wing. Smith will be available to the press prior to the official change of command ceremony. The ceremony will include short remarks by the participants.

WHEN: Members of the media must be at the Thompson Road gate at Hancock Air National Guard Base no later than 12:30 p.m. to participate in the interview opportunity at the base headquarters building at 1 p.m. The formal change of command ceremony takes place at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Thompson Road, Syracuse, NY 13211.

Coverage Opportunities:

Col. Michael Smith will be available for interview questions prior to the official change of command ceremony.

Members of the Media must contact Major Sandra Stoquert, the wing Public Affairs Officer NLT 9:30 a.m. on April 3 at (315) 233-2651 or 2408 for access to this secure military facility. Entry will be through the Thompson Road gate.

Background:

Col Michael R. Smith

Col. Michael Smith was commissioned in the Air Force following his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1989. He trained as an F-16 pilot and served in the Active Air Force until 1998 when he joined the 174th Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard.

He has served in a number of positions to include F-16C instructor pilot and chief of scheduling and training, chief of safety, chief of standards and evaluation, 138th Fighter Squadron Director of Operations, 138th Fighter Squadron Commander, 174th Maintenance Group Commander, 174th Attack Wing Assistant Vice Commander and 174th Attack Wing Vice Commander.

He is a command pilot with more than 5,200 hours of flying time, to include 50 combat missions and 200 combat support missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as over the United States during Operation Noble Eagle in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

He is a graduate of the Air War College, the Air Command and Staff College, and the Joint Task Force Commander Training Course.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

He is a resident of Manlius.

"Col. Smith is an exceptional leader who will take this organization well into the future and continue to put Syracuse on the map as the center of excellence for MQ-9 operations and command and control," said Semmel, the outgoing 174th Attack Wing commander.

Col. Greg Semmel

Col. Greg Semmel has commanded the 174th Attack Wing since 2013. A 1986 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Semmel is a command pilot with more than 4000 flying hours, including over 125 combat missions in various operations to include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle.

Semmel graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1986, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a command pilot with more than 4000 flying hours, including over 125 combat missions in various operations to include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle.

Semmel served in the Active Air Force in a variety of positions until he joined the New York Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Squadron in 2000 as Chief of Weapon and Tactics. From 2005 to 2011, he served as the 174th Operations Group Commander and became 174th Fighter Wing Vice Commander in 2011.

He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, the Air Command and Staff College, the Air War College and the Joint Forces Staff College.

His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

He is a resident of Jamesville.

174th Attack Wing:

The 174th Attack Wing was established in 1947 as the first Air National Guard flying unit in New York State.

It currently flies the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft and trains all MQ-9 maintenance technicians for the Air Force, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. The wing also conducts qualification training for MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base and Fort Drum, operating out of Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

At the same time the wing deploys members oversees to support MQ-9 operations and other Air Force commitments and operates MQ-9s in the Central Command area of operations from a facility at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base.

The wing also maintains the air-to-ground gunnery range at Fort Drum which is used by Air Force, Air Guard and Air Force Reserve units across the northeast and provides forces to respond to state emergencies at the direction of the governor.

In December 2015, the 174th Attack Wing was the first unit to fly a remotely piloted aircraft in class "C" airspace surrounding a civilian airport.