Base commanders at Wright-Patterson typically serve about two years in the position before moving on. Spacy, a 23-year veteran of the Air Force, came to Wright-Patterson in July 2008 to succeed Col. Colleen M. Ryan, who retired from the Air Force.
The Air Force hasn’t said what Spacy’s next assignment will be, or when he would relocate. He is a career security forces officer, including a 2004-2005 assignment in which he created and led a ground combat operation to kill or capture insurgents who were attacking Balad Air Base, Iraq.
Col. Richard J. Hazdra, vice commander of the 88th Air Base Wing, is overseeing base operations while Spacy is away. Spacy is expected to return to Wright-Patterson in mid-May after his course ends, base spokesman Derek Kaufman said Thursday, April 29.
The 88th Air Base Wing is the largest air base wing in the Air Force with more than 5,800 military personnel, Air Force civilians and contractor employees. Its commander’s day-to-day function at the base is sometimes compared with that of a mayor or city manager.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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