Former 31st FW vice commander takes command of 53rd Wing

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Assuming command of the 53rd Wing meant a return to the states after serving almost five years overseas for Col. Michael Gantt. This was a transition the colonel said he was excited about.

"My family and I are happy to be here on the Emerald Coast," said the colonel. "We're ready to get out and enjoy the beaches and meet the local community."

The 21-year veteran left Aviano Air Base, Italy, to take command of the 2,000-person wing June 24 at a ceremony at Hangar 103.

The colonel expressed he was excited to get to the operational test side of the Air Force mission and was looking forward to his immersion, particularly learning more on the unmanned aircraft systems and bomber testing.

"Since I was in Iraq, I've worked more on the policy side of the job," said the father of three. "I'm glad to be getting to the operational test side and on the tip of the spear again."

The Mount Vernon, Va., native and 'military brat" said he joined the Air Force to fly fighter aircraft, but not before he played football for the Air Force Academy as a strong safety. His team met Arizona State in the Freedom Bowl game in 1987. After his commission and graduation from pilot training, he was selected to fly the F-16.

His move to Eglin is his seventh in nine years and leaving Aviano, he had two former 53d Wing leadership alumni to draw from for his first command of a wing - former commander, Brig. Gen. Franklin, and former command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Dave Collins.

"They have such a tremendous love for the Airmen they serve," said the colonel. "I hope I can replicate that in what I'm able to do here at the 53d Wing."

Although new and yet to be fully immersed into the wing, the colonel has already begun to grasp the complex and separated mission that is the 53rd Wing.

"It is a perfect example of centralized control and decentralized execution," said the colonel. "I'm so impressed with how focused on their particular mission and how it all feeds into the overall mission."

The new commander will be front loaded with a vast amount of information during his immersions at Eglin next week before visiting the Weapons Evaluation Group at Tyndall AFB. Then in July, he'll begin his immersion of the many geographically separated units out West to include Nellis AFB, where he'll preside over his first change of command ceremony as the new commander.