Hecker takes command of US, NATO air operations in Afghanistan – AirForceTimes.com

Maj. Gen. James Hecker assumed command of 9th Air and Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan and NATO Air Command-Afghanistan Tuesday.

He is succeedingMaj. Gen. Jeffrey Taliaferro, who oversaw the introduction ofA-29 Super Tucano aircraft to the Afghan air force. The pilots, trained at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, have flown roughly 900 close-air support missions since the first turboprops arrived in April 2016.

Theres no better leader at this point to take us forward in this mission, Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said at Tuesdays ceremony, according to Stars and Stripes, which first reported the change of command.

Hecker, a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Most recently, he led the 19th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, which trains more than 30,000 U.S. and allied students each year.

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Hecker takes command of US, NATO air operations in Afghanistan - AirForceTimes.com