News Search

145th Airlift Wing Welcomes New Commander and Makes History

  • Published
  • By by Tech. Sgt. Julianne Showalter
  • 145th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
06/09/2018 – CHARLOTTE, N.C. – --  The North Carolina Air National Guard makes history during a Change of Command Ceremony by welcoming the first female commander of the 145th Airlift Wing, Col. Bryony Terrell. Regardless of gender, Terrell is the perfect fit to command a unit of nearly 1,300 Airmen as they complete a transition to the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

Terrell, a third generation Airman, is a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft pilot, and has been in the service for 20 years. Terrell’s grandfather was in the Army Air Corps, and her father served as a rescue pilot in Vietnam.

“I’m excited to be here in North Carolina, this is a great opportunity. I hope I am an example to other women who have career desires and goals. My focus is on the conversion and the strategic mission with the C-17,” said Terrell.

The outgoing commander, Col. Michael Gerock, highlighted why Terrell is right for the position and said, “I’ve known her for several years, and she has the skill set and aptitude to continue making this wing a great place. Especially now, during the conversion phase, she has a lot of the knowledge and expertise to make this work and support Charlotte as we move forward.”

Although, being the first female commander of the 145th Airlift Wing is a historical event, the more prominent focus is that Terrell brings valued experience with airframe transitions from her last command with the 167th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Martinsburg, W.Va.

“To me it doesn’t matter whether she’s a man or a woman. Yes it’s a great side note that she’s the first female 145th Airlift Wing commander, but I think we need the right person, in the right place, at the right time, and she fits all those bills. She’s going to be great, based upon her knowledge and skill sets, not her gender,” said Gerock.

Lt. Col. Michael Komorous, 145th Operations Support Squadron commander, worked with Terrell in the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Joint Base Andrews, Md., and said, “I worked with her on a weekly basis, and she’s very diligent, a hard worker, and to the point. We’re excited to bring in her experience.”

The unit is slated to receive a total of eight C-17 Globemaster III airframes and welcomed the most recent aircraft on June 8, 2018.

Terrell expressed her eagerness to start command of the unit and said, “I’m excited and ready to get to work, and I’m happy to make Charlotte my home. We drove in last night and I’m ready to hit the ground running. Tomorrow starts a new work week and I look forward to what’s in store for me.”