JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst --
Lieutenant Colonel Dylan A. Bell relinquished command of Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron to Lieutenant Colonel William J. Pringle on Friday, 14 June 2024. Colonel Philip G. Morrison, Director of Headquarters Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation, presided over the change of command ceremony, highlighting the achievements of both AMCTES leaders before facilitating the transfer of the flag from outgoing to incoming commander.
Family, friends, and AMCTES personnel gathered at the Consolidated Maintenance Operations Facility, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst for the ceremony, which was followed by a reception.
The Change of Command ceremony is a longstanding military tradition. The passing of colors from an outgoing commander to an incoming commander ensures that the unit and its soldiers are “never without” official leadership. This time-honored ceremony represents a continuation of trust and signifies an allegiance of soldiers to their unit's commander.
In his remarks on the outgoing commander’s tenure, Col Morrison noted that it was a testament to Lt Col Bell’s success at AMCTES that he was given the privilege of relinquishing command to his successor, Lt Col Pringle. He went on to praise Lt Col Bell’s effectiveness in driving forward the AMCTES mission.
Lt Col Bell became Commander of AMCTES on June 30, 2022. In that time, he was responsible for significant structural and process changes in addition to directly impacting $53B of AMC acquisitions programs.
Prior to assuming command, Lt Col Bell served as AMCTES Operations Officer (Director of Operations). He brought a wide range of knowledge and experience across a number of roles, including combat flight but also years of progressively more responsible training and education duties at Maxwell AFB, AL, and USAFA, CO.
Lt Col Bell reflected that he kept the vision of ‘Proven solutions in warfighter hands’ front and center in every action and decision while responsible for AMCTES, and he gave credit to the individual personnel in every capacity who helped achieve that vision through testing. He formally marked his retirement from the United States Air Force later that afternoon.
In introducing the new AMCTES Commander, Col Morrison remarked that the task of leading AMCTES was great but that he knew Lt Col Pringle was the person to meet that challenge.
Lt Col Pringle assumes command of the squadron having been Operations Officer since August 2023. As such, he has built a store of knowledge and expertise on the test process. He has been intricately involved in managing partnerships with external entities, while seamlessly overseeing the daily activities of test teams and being prescient in anticipating obstacles to an array of operational testing scenarios which AMCTES navigates.
Upon assuming command and expressing his gratitude to all those in attendance, Lt Col Pringle zeroed in on the paramount importance of AMCTES and its mission in his remarks. Citing the unit’s global impact which directly affects AMC and, consequently, the Joint Force, the new AMCTES commander emphasized how the operations and the Airmen in AMCTES today will set us up for success well into the future.
Prior to joining AMCTES, Lt Col Pringle served as an Instructor and as the Chief of Student Operations in the Air Force Element at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College, enabling him to perform integrated work across branches. He brings a background in military strategic studies, business administration, and operational studies to his role as AMCTES Commander, as well as previous experience from JBMDL in the 87 ABW, 305 OSS, and 6 AS. A native Kansan, Lt Col Pringle has flown more than 3500 hours, including combat, instructional, and evaluator flight time.
“Together, with other Airmen from various backgrounds and career fields, we represented something larger than ourselves. In that moment, we all were united in purpose - to show respect to the outbound commander for a job well done, to recognize the inbound commander as the one now in charge, and to hear his or her vision and direction of the organization.”
Lt Col Devin Beckstrand, Commander, 628th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, on the significance of the Change of Command ceremony