18th AES changes command

U.S. Air Force Col. David J. Roll, newly appointed commander of the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, accepts the 18th AES guidon from Col. David A. Mineau, 18th Operations Group commander, during a change of command ceremony on Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 26, 2015. The 18th AES has a large presence in the Pacific with momentous medical operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lynette Rolen)

18th EMS welcomes new commander

U.S. Air Force Col. Timothy Burke, 18th Maintenance Group commander, passes the 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron guidon to Maj. Pete Leija, 18th EMS commander, during the squadron’s change of command ceremony on Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 30, 2015. The change of command is a traditional military ceremony in which the departing commander assembles his troops for presentation to the incoming commander. Leija was the commander of the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Naoto Anazawa)

Team Kadena welcomes new commanders, June 25 to July 1

Published July 1, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Lynette M. Rolen
18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Team Kadena would like to welcome the following new leaders that took command within the last week:

Col. David J. Roll is now the commander of the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron as of June 26. The 18th AES maintains a forward presence and supports medical contingencies in the Pacific to include the only neonatal air facility in the region. The squadron's area of operations is the largest in the military, reaching from the Horn of Africa to Alaska. The 18th AES deploys, establishes and operates elements of a theater aeromedical evacuation system, including a mobile staging facility, evacuation command and control, and crews for worldwide taskings.

Maj. Pete Leija is now the commander of the 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron as of June 30. The 18th EMS supports heavy maintenance for Kadena-assigned aircraft, to include F-15 Eagles, KC-135 Stratotankers and HH-60G Pave Hawks, as well as limited maintenance to associate aircraft. The 18th EMS directly supports sortie production for a 14,000-hour annual flying-hour program.