New commander to lead 65th Air Base Wing

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mark Graff
  • 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LAJES FIELD, Azores --  Col. Martin Rothrock assumed command of the 65th Air Base Wing during a change of command ceremony here June 26. Rothrock took command from Col. Chris Bargery, who had commanded the wing since July 2012. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, 3rd Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony.

Rothrock arrives at Lajes Field from the Republic of Korea where he was Chief of the Joint 3/4 Theater Antiterroism, Force Protection and Critical Infrastructure Division for United States Forces Korea. He is a career security forces officer and a veteran of six overseas assignments and deployments.

Rothrock is a 1990 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He has earned four Master's Degrees from various civilian and military institutions.

Bargery departs to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he will command the Air Force Security Forces Center. He will direct the AFSFC's day-to-day operations and lead three Air Staff divisions and two geographically separated corrections facilities.

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The 65th Air Base Wing is the American unit stationed at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal. This U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa unit is the largest U.S. military organization in the Azores. The wing plays a vital role in combat operations by enabling the expeditionary movement of war fighters, warplanes and global communications to combatant commanders and supporting Joint, Coalition and NATO operations as part of U.S. and Allied Air Expeditionary Forces.