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News - Change of Command at the Blacksheep CS, 25 August 2010
MESQUITE, Texas – On Aug. 24, 2010, Lt. Col. Mike Eberle stepped down as commander of the Blacksheep Composite Squadron. Lt. Col. Owen Younger, Group III commander, symbolically passed the guidon from Lt. Col. Eberle to the new squadron commander, Capt. Doug Hosea.
“In 2005, I became the squadron commander on my father’s birthday, Jan. 4, replacing Gary Woodall at that time,” said Lt Col Eberle.
Lt. Col. Eberle relived milestones of his five years as the Blacksheep commander, including Hurricane Katrina, the renovation projects of both the senior members’ and cadets’ hangar space, the squadron’s 30th year anniversary, the “excellent” score achieved during their Subordinate Unit Inspection, and the Squadron of the Year award, received in 2008.
“We were also very busy participating in firewatches, mountain flying, and Low Level Route Surveys,” Lt Col Eberle added.
Lt. Col. Younger, a former cadet commander for the Blacksheep Composite Squadron, congratulated both Lt. Col. Eberle for a job well done and Capt. Hosea for his commitment to take on the responsibility be becoming the new commander.
“The heart and soul of a squadron is its squadron commander,” said Lt. Col. Younger. “It’s a difficult duty, but it’s a testament to you. Lt. Col. Eberle, that some of your members have gained not only Group III recognition, but also Wing’s recognition in their fields. Also, while Lt. Col. Eberle was away, Capt. Doug Hosea stepped up to help the squadron pass its Subordinate Unit Inspection.”
As was the case with Lt. Col. Eberle, Capt. Hosea also mentioned that the day he received official notice of his new duties as squadron commander had special meaning for him. “On Aug. 18, the paperwork designating me as the new squadron commander also fell on my father’s birthday,” said Capt. Hosea.
The ceremony also included Lt. Col. Eberle’s recognition of senior members and cadets whose contribution to the squadron had merited various awards.
For passing a knowledge test on the renowned World War II Black Sheep Squadron’s history, Blacksheep Composite Squadron patch and caps were presented to Cadet Airman Robert Kellick, Cadet Airman Basic Adrian Murphy and Cadet Airman Christian Leiva.
For his completing his first O-ride, Cadet Airman Basic David Hammer was presented with his Certificate of First Flight.
Senior Member Rebecca McKinney was promoted to 1st Lt., and J.M. Coffman and Opal McKinney were each promoted to captain. They were sworn in by Lt. Col. Eberle.
“This squadron is made up very talented members,” said Capt Doug Hosea, “and I’m honored to be your new commander.”
Capt. Kelly Castillo, CAP