At a change of command ceremony Saturday, Hesterman took over command from Col. John Knabel, who is retiring from the Air National Guard.
Hesterman said his job will be to ensure airmen in Springfield have the tools they need to complete their challenging missions successfully. At the same time, it will be important to engage with the community and ensure local residents and leaders understand the benefits the wing brings to Clark County.
“We have a complex mission set and it is a true privilege to get to lead these awesome people,” Hesterman said.
The base is one of Clark County’s largest employers, with roughly 1,300 airmen. That figure includes about 350 full-time airmen and hundreds of traditional Guard members who work part-time. The base generated around $60 million in annual payroll in 2015.
But Hesterman is also taking over the unit at a time when local military and government leaders are preparing for a potential BRAC that might mean the closure or realignment of some military bases across the U.S. The Springfield base lost its mission training F-16 pilots during the last base review in 2005.
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Hesterman previously served as vice commander of the 121st Air Refueling Wing at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. He said his leadership experience in Columbus and more recently in Springfield will help him manage the tasks ahead.
Knabel, who has led the base for more than a year, said it was a privilege to lead the wing as it transitioned from the Predator to the Reaper. Because the mission is highly secretive, Knabel said it has been challenging to make residents aware of the work taking place in Springfield.
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But he said he spent much of his time as commander working to open the base to local elected and community leaders as much as possible to highlight the importance of the base’s surveillance and intelligence missions. The wing has flown more than 20,000 hours of combat missions with the Predator for missions all over the world, he said.
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Knabel also said Hesterman was an excellent choice to lead the base moving forward.
“I’m going to miss the men and women of this wing the most, but I’m really excited about the kinds of things they’re going to do in the future,” he said.
By the numbers
1, 300: Estimated total employment at Springfield base
350: Full-time Guard members
$60M: Estimated annual payroll in 2015
The Springfield News-Sun provides unmatched coverage of the Springfield Air National Guard Base and its impact on Clark and Champaign counties, including recent stories on local Guard units deployed to assist with relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after hurricanes this fall.
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