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299th RCS retires 14 members

By Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen and Maj. Krista DeAngelis, 151st ARW/PA / Published January 11, 2009

Col. Kelvin Findlay, 151st Air Refueling Wing Commander, presents the Air Force Commendation Medal to Master Sgt. Richard Woodfall. Sgt. Woodfall retired from the 299th Range Control Squadron after having served as an air traffic controller and unit career advisor for the unit. The 299th RCS retired 14 squadron members as part of a drawdown of personnel as the unit prepares to deactivate later this year. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Burke Baker
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Col. Kelvin Findlay, 151st Air Refueling Wing Commander, presents the Air Force Commendation Medal to Master Sgt. Richard Woodfall. Sgt. Woodfall retired from the 299th Range Control Squadron after having served as an air traffic controller and unit career advisor for the unit. The 299th RCS retired 14 squadron members as part of a drawdown of personnel as the unit prepares to deactivate later this year. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Burke Baker

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HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The 299th Range Control Squadron of the Utah Air National Guard bid farewell to 14 Airmen at a retirement ceremony on December 18 at Hill Air Force Base in preparation of the deactivation of the unit.

The squadron was established as a flight in 1969, and will be deactivated Oct. 1, 2009.

"The retiring members are a combination of operators and maintainers supporting the mission of air traffic control over 6,800 square miles of the Utah Test and Training Range," said Lt. Col. John Teter, 299th RCS commander. "We have more than 350 years of experience that retired last month, and they will be greatly missed."

In April 2008, the unit's manning document changed from 108 members to three. Currently, there are five military members in the unit, but all military personnel will be transferred or retired by October. The remaining civilian members will be transferred to the 388th Range Squadron.

"Of the members leaving the organization, approximately one third retired, one third separated and one third transferred to other units," Colonel Teter said. "I would like to thank Colonel Findlay and the other commanders of the Utah Air National Guard for taking in the other members of the squadron."

Since 9/11, more than 75 percent of the squadron's Airmen have voluntarily deployed throughout the world serving more than 6,000 Mandays in support of the Global War on Terror.

The 299th RCS retirees are:

Capt Matt Ruder
Chief Rich Greenway
Chief Randy Nichols
SMS Jeff Hamilton
SMS Mark Craig
SMS Teri Kirkland
MSG Mark Prestrude
MSG Rich Woodfall
MSG Mike Keyser
TSG John Radlund
TSG Nate Bosen
TSG Acelia Fannon
TSG Scott McKinzie
TSG Larry Durrant