JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron (AMCTES) underwent a change of command at Joint Base MDL on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Lieutenant Colonel Maryann Karlen relinquished command to Lieutenant Colonel Dylan Bell.
Presiding over the ceremony was U.S. Air Force Colonel Jonathan Tucker, Commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock, AR. Prior to his current assignment, Col Tucker was the Director of Test and Evaluation at Air Mobility Command.
Col Tucker praised Lt Col Karlen for her “gift with people,” and for fostering unity in the squadron over the past two years, despite the challenge of working remotely during the pandemic. Col Tucker said that during her time as Commander of AMCTES, Lt Col Karlen “made an indelible mark” that will remain as she moves on to her next assignment.
Lt Col Karlen has admirably served as commander of AMCTES since 2020, during which time the squadron shaped fifty-two billion dollars of acquisitions. She has been selected for reassignment as Deputy Commandant of the U.S. Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, where she will support initiatives of the Commandant to train operators in Test and Evaluation across Air, Space, and Cyberspace domains.
Col Tucker also commended Lt Col Bell for all he has done to support Test and Evaluation over the past year, saying that he is “the right leader at the right time.” Lt Col Bell is not new to the squadron—he has previously served as AMCTES Director of Operations since September 2021, during which time he oversaw 65 personnel in the planning and execution of operational test and evaluations for all Air Mobility Command aircraft and their associated requirements.
Although the leadership has changed, AMCTES remains committed to providing the warfighter with proven solutions through safe, timely, accurate, and objective operational test and evaluation.
The squadron wishes Lt Col Karlen all the best in the next phase of her career and welcomes Lt Col Bell as he steps into the role of AMCTES commander.