Wing bids farewell to Colonel Harrigian

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  On the bright New Mexico afternoon of June 22, Col. Jeffrey "Cobra" Harrigian stepped out of an F-22 Raptor where his family and fellow members of Team Holloman were waiting to celebrate the momentous, yet bittersweet, occasion in the traditional Air Force way.

He had just completed his final flight as the 49th Fighter Wing commander, an event that concluded his tenure of leadership as Team Holloman's top officer for the past two and a half years.

"This last flight was really a culmination of everything that we've done here together as a team while I've been at Holloman," said Colonel Harrigian. "I look back at our last two and a half years and it's been an exciting time, a challenging time."

When Colonel Harrigian arrived at Holloman in January 2008, he immediately delved into one of many transformations the base would see through his tour here: the retirement of the F-117 Nighthawk and the arrival of the first Raptor.

Shortly after his arrival, the colonel planned and implemented the retirement of the Nighthawk aircraft that would respectfully retire the first stealth fighter while simultaneously continuing the bed down of the Air Force's first fifth generation stealth fighter.

"When I arrived, we were looking at retiring the F-117 which was a pretty significant, emotional event for the community and for everyone on base," said Colonel Harrigian. "Really, it was an awesome airframe that did great things for our nation."

Although the retirement of the Nighthawk was an emotional one more than 400, people including Air Force and civic leaders attended the week-long Raptor Arrival Ceremony that June -- a milestone event that the colonel said he will not soon forget.

"[The ceremony] was a fairly significant event and I was fortunate enough to fly one of the first two raptors assigned to HAFB into New Mexico one of the first two Raptors," said the brigadier general select. "I think that will certainly be one of the greater memories I take with me."

He then embarked on another significant endeavor when Team Holloman welcomed the 44th Fighter Group as a partner organization. Colonel Harrigian helped to ensure Total Force Integration was accomplished by laying the ground work for a successful partnership. He also credited the 44th FG commander, Col. Donald "Louie" Lindberg, for his hard work in making TFI a success.

"The whole team of folks that [Colonel Lindberg] brought in here has just been a tremendous group. They started from scratch, just like many of the programs that we've started, and he's leading almost 200 folks in here," said Colonel Harrigian. "Louie and all the folks he's brought in -- the Reservists -- have been a great bunch and we are very proud to have integrated them into Team Holloman. I see nothing but continuing growth with what they do and their mission at Holloman."

With the F-22 bed down underway and the 44th FG partnership developing, the Wing commander began bedding down a second weapons system, the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flying Training Unit. Under his leadership, four RPA squadrons stood up under the 49th FW and became operationally capable of training the next generation of RPA pilots and sensor operators.

The U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, who has personally flown the MQ-1 Predator, said the stand up of these squadrons was a "true success story" and he believes Holloman's role in the RPA mission will only continue to thrive.

Additionally, Holloman provided humanitarian support in Chile and Haiti; participated in numerous Red Flag exercises; provided F-22's to the Western Pacific in the first Raptor deployment; opened two state-of-the-art fire stations; sent Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources base assets to Afghanistan; and hosted DreamWorks for the filming of the motion picture, Transformers 2, all under the command of Colonel Harrigian.

Behind the developing missions and changes that have occurred at Holloman were the Airmen working to achieve the commander's vision. Knowing this, Colonel Harrigian took pride in taking care of both Airmen and their families to maintain combat readiness and to increase the quality of life at Holloman. The commander oversaw many quality of life initiatives including the privatization of base housing, a $4.5 million aquatic center, large scale morale-boosting events and road repairs across the base.

After his final flight as the 49th FW commander, Colonel Harrigian thanked the Airmen of Holloman for assisting him in making his tenure here a success.

"I really want to thank all our Airmen for what they've done," he said. "It's been my privilege and a real honor to be your commander and to have had the opportunity to serve with you."

For the past two and a half years, Colonel Harrigian has supported more than 17,000 military and civilian members of Team Holloman, and has lead with his vision, "One Team, Combat Ready." That team included servicemembers -- both American and German, their families, retirees, civic leaders, and the local community.

The commander recognized the local community as an integral part of Team Holloman and engaged with them often. In September 2009, the base opened its gates to more than 10,000 people from the surrounding area during "Raptors and Reapers over the Southwest" -- an open house highlighting Holloman's mission and showcasing the capabilities and personnel from many units on the base. He also appeared monthly on a local radio station for a segment called "Commander's Corner," where he talked about recent events on base and encouraged phone calls from the local citizens. During his last radio show, Colonel Harrigian thanked the community for their hospitality and support.

"You know, I've been in the Air Force for 25 years and this place truly is very unique. The support our Airmen and their families get is unmatched," said the Purple Heart recipient. "There's a heartfelt relationship here that you just don't see often and that's what makes this place a great place to live and it's been a wonderful opportunity for me and my family."

Colonel Harrigian will go on to work as the deputy director of strategy and planning for the U.S. Forces Iraq Staff, but had a few last words for the Airmen of Holloman before he heads on to future endeavors.

"Keep up the 115 percent effort. Give it all you've got. Recognize that there are a lot of challenges that we are facing as an Air Force and the 49th Fighter Wing is going to play a critical role in what we do as an Air Force," he said. "The Airmen here are exactly the right people to get the job done and there's no doubt in my mind that they will, all the time, get the job done."

The change of command ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m., June 25 at Hangar 301 where Colonel Harrigian will relinquish command of the 49th FW to Colonel David Krumm. At that time, the 49 Fighter Wing will also be renamed the 49th Wing, to better represent the diverse missions performed at Holloman.