"Jmack" as he is known to 141st maintenance crew, accepts the Meritorius Service medal Left, Brigadier General Gent Welsh presents Col. James McGovern, Right, with promotion
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE – Lt. Col. James McGovern took command of the 141st Air Refueling Wing, promoting him to the rank of Colonel, Jan. 6.
McGovern's immediate predecessor was Col. Gregory Nolting, who retired from the Air Force in December of 2022 after having served over 33 years. Lake City performer Sydney Jacobson performed the national anthem at the beginning of the ceremony.
Brigadier General Gent Welsh, Commander of Washington's Air National Guard, gave a speech in commemoration of the event.
"Today, we mark a new day in the 100-year history of the wing by promoting McGovern to the rank of Colonel, a man who will dedicate every fiber of himself to being an effective commander." Welsh said.
Afterward, Welsh promoted McGovern to the rank of Colonel and re-administered the oath of office.
McGovern was also presented with the Meritorious Service medal, honoring his service as the commander of the 141st Maintenance Group.
In attendance were such officials as Mayor of Medical Lake, Terri Cooper; Mayor of Reardan, Gail Daniels; Mayor of Spokane, Nadine Woodward, and a representative of Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Claudette Becker.
McGovern took the stage after his promotion, and after placing his formation at ease, said "Standing here today is kind of surreal. When I joined the military 28 years ago. I would have never predicted how far my career would go. It did not include achieving the rank of Colonel, let alone becoming the wing commander of the finest organization in the air national guard."
McGovern went on to thank several distinguished attendees and others whom he cited as positive influences on himself and the Air Force in general.
"The future is uncertain, there are many variables that are beyond our control. But what we can control is our culture and our readiness. So let's work to maintain a family culture, ready to serve neighbor and nation." McGovern said.
Lucas is a former Cheney Free Press managing editor. He is a nationally published author who contributes regularly to several publications across the country.
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