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621st CRW welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J --  Col. James A. Copher took the reins of the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Col. Martin A. Chapin in a change of command ceremony at the Global Reach Deployment Center here, July 24.

Copher came to the 621st CRW from Southwest Asia, where he served as the vice wing commander of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. His responsibilities at the 380 AEW included air refueling, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air battle management, control and reporting center, ground attack, air support, theatre security cooperation and airlift mission in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia.

Copher is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender, C-12 Huron, T-38 Talon, and the T-37 Cessna aircraft.

The 621st CRW is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. with additional forces stationed at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and various Army and Marine Corps installations worldwide. The wing is tasked with rapidly deploying its 1,500 Airmen to quickly open and operate airfields, establish, expand, sustain and coordinate air mobility operations and liaise with partner nations to foster the development of their air mobility systems through education and outreach.

During a speech in the ceremony, Copher expressed his gratitude.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve with the CRW," Copher said. "Thank you for placing the trust and confidence in us to lead the CRW in to the future.

"It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve with an outstanding team of disciplined professionals who care about their mission and their profession, who care about the people they serve, as well as the people they serve with. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and for making a difference every day."