Col. Ryan Dannemann, a New Paltz resident, takes command of Air Guard's 105th Airlift Wing on Saturday, Jan. 6

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Col. Ryan Dennemann

STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEWBURGH, NEW YORK (01/04/2024) (readMedia)-- New York Air National Guard Col. Ryan Danneman, a New Paltz resident, will take over command of the 105th Airlift Wing from Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton during a ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh on Saturday morning, January 6.

Members of the press are invited to cover the ceremony.

Charlton, a Skaneateles resident, who has led the wing since March of 2022, will take a position with the National Guard Bureau as director of operations for the Air National Guard in Washington D.C.

WHO: Col. Ryan Danneman, incoming commander of the 105th Airlift Wing; Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton, II, the outgoing commander of the 105th Airlift Wing; and Major Gen. Denise Donnell the commander of the New York Air National Guard, who will preside over the ceremony; and the Airmen of the 105th Airlift Wing.

WHAT: A formal change of commander ceremony during which the guidon of the 105th Airlift Wing will be transferred from Charlton to Danneman by Donnell, officially marking the transition in leadership.

Traditionally the units flag signifies the location of the commander on the battlefield. The ceremony of transferring the colors indicated to the unit's members who they would follow in combat.

WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan.6, 2024. (Ceremony is at 9:30 a.m. Media members must be at the gate by 9 a.m.

WHERE: Maguire Way, Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, N.Y.

Media opportunities:

The press will be able to obtain still and video imagery of the change of command ceremony and the wing's Airmen in formation. Interviews with the incoming and outgoing commanders can be arranged.

Members of the media who wish to cover this event at this secure military facility must contact Tech. Sgt. Daniel Hotter at 845-563-2075 or email: 105.AW.PA.Mailbox.Org@us.af.mil no later than 1 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2024.

BACKGROUND:

Col. Ryan Danneman

Colonel Ryan F. Dannemann received his commission in the Air Force from the Academy of Military Sciences at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in 2002. He attended undergraduate pilot training in 2003 and completed C-5 Galaxy qualification training in 2004.

He has served in a number of positions in the 105th Airlift Wing since then in positions of increasing responsibility.

Dannemann has served as a C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III instructor pilot assigned to the 137th Airlift Squadron. He has served as the wing inspector general, and as commander of the 105th Maintenance Squadron and the 137th Airlift Squadron. He has served as the deputy commander and then commander of the 105th Operations Group.

Dannemann is a command pilot with over 5,000 hours of flight time. He has flown combat missions in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as humanitarian missions after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria here in the United States and in 2004 in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; the Air War College; and the National Security Management Course at Syracuse University.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Achievement Medal.

Brig. Gen. Gary R. Charlton II

Brig. Gen. Gary Charlton enlisted in the New York Air National Guard in May 1990 and served as a fuels systems technician. He graduated from Columbia College in 1995 earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He then commissioned in 2000 and attended undergraduate pilot training in 2001.

Charlton completed initial F-16 qualification training in 2002 and served as an F-16C pilot flying with the 138th Fighter Squadron, Hancock Field, N.Y. He has held the positions of flight, detachment, and squadron commander of the 138th Fighter Squadron; as well as 107th Operations Group commander and 107th Attack Wing vice commander. Prior leading the 105th Airlift Wing, he was the commander of the 107th Attack Wing, based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

A combat veteran, Charlton served seven combat deployments, three while enlisted, Operations Desert Shield and Storm, and Northern Watch, and four additional deployments flying F-16C combat missions in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He is a command pilot with over 3,200 flying hours in the T-37, T-38A, T-38C, F-16C/D, MQ-1, and MQ-9 and C-17.

Charlton's awards include several awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Air Force Overseas Ribbon, and the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon.

Charlton holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College and is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College.

The New York Air National Guard and the 105th Airlift Wing

The 105th Airlift Wing operates the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift cargo plane from Stewart Air National Guard Base. The wing's Airmen regularly fly missions providing support to U.S. forces worldwide. Wing members also deploy as members of Air Expeditionary Wings into operational areas throughout the world.

As members of the New York Air National Guard, Airmen of the 105th Airlift Wing respond to state emergencies when called upon by the Governor of New York.

The New York Air National Guard, with almost 6,000 members, is the largest Air National Guard in the country.

Along with the 105th Airlift Wing the New York Air National Guard has four other flying wings: the 107th Attack Wing at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, the 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, and the 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach.

The New York Air National Guard also includes the Eastern Air Defense Sector whose 224th Air Defense Group is responsible for conducting the air defense of the United States east of the Mississippi and the Washington D. C. area.