VIENNA — Nearly 600 military personnel, dignitaries, family members and guests attended the change-of-command ceremony of the 910th Airlift Wing at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Saturday.

The change of command is rooted in military history dating to the 18th century reign of King Frederick the Great of Prussia. It symbolizes the loyalty, dedication and trust to their new commander. During the ceremony, the new leader would accept the dutiful responsibility and agree to the assumption of command in the presence of his entire unit, according to the website militaryhistory.com.

Col. Michael Maloney was sworn in as the new wing commander and YARS installation commander, which was presided over by Brigadier Gen. Melissa Coburn, the 22nd Air Force Commander from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia.

As a commander, Maloney is responsible for the training of personnel and employment of the C-130 Hercules aircraft fleet. The wing unit includes more than 1,400 Air Force Reserves and civilian professionals and is equipped with eight C-130H2 aircraft. They are responsible for global medium-range airlift, tactical air / land and airdrop as well as Aeromedical Evacuation missions. The 910th also is home to the Department of Defense’s only large area, fixed-wing aerial spray mission.

Before accepting the position at YARS, Maloney was chief of the Programs Division at the Headquarters of Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia since February.

Coburn began by praising the previous commander, Col. Jeff Van Dootingh, who recently retired after a 38-year military career. As a C-130 navigator, he spent more than half of his career at the 910th Airlift Wing.

“He was a great friend and mentor of mine and had a great outlook on life and on the military. Many went to him for guidance especially after he inherited the wing in 2021 during COVID. Through all of the adversities, the 910th under his leadership, was ranked in the Top 3 in the nation for military readiness for the past three years in a row. We were certainly grateful for his great service and leadership to the wing,” Coburn said.

Coburn then emphasized the importance of strong leadership and said how much she is looking forward to working with Maloney, who brings more than 30 years of military experience.

He is originally from Wichita, Kansas, but calls St. Louis, Missouri, home. Maloney initially was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Missouri. He began his career as a navigator and electronic warfare officer aboard the B-52H bomber at Barksdale Air Force Base and then graduated from pilot training in 2002.

He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 military and civilian hours. He has flown T-37, T-39, T-43, T1, B-52-H, C-130E, MC-130E, L-382G, C-145, and C-40C. His major decorations and awards are a Meritorious Service Medal with 5 Oak Leaf clusters, an Aerial Achievement with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, an Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, and Air and Space Commendation medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and a NATO Medal (Kosovo).

He also was assigned as the wing inspector general and director of inspections, and has been deployed to Entebbe, Uganda, as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Detachment-Uganda and the 5th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron. Maloney also was assigned as chief for foreign ;anguage training. He also became the senior director of Air Force Special Operations Command. as well as the U.S. Air Force Europe and Air Force Africa liaison officer in the U.S. Africa Command.

During his acceptance speech to over 400 military men and women of the 910th, he said “I challenge all personnel to look for those people who will help make you better — better in life, better in the military and a better all-around person. You are all considered combat pilots. Challenge yourself each and every day to be prepared and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask why. And don’t be afraid to pay it forward.”