Command at Davis-Monthan changes hands

The command of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base changed hands Friday as Col. Scott C. Campbell assumed the top post, flanked by an A-10 jet in a traditional ceremony in a D-M hangar.

With the ceremonial passing of the wing guidon, or flag, Campbell took over command of the host 355th Fighter Wing at D-M from Col. James P. Meger, who retired Friday after 24 years of service.

Lt. Gen. Mark C. Nowland, who oversees the 355th Wing as commander of the D-M-based Twelfth Air Force, said D-M’s reins are passing between two “incredible leaders” and cited D-M’s tradition of excellence.

D-M won the Commander in Chief’s Installation Excellence Award in 2012 and was a finalist for that award this year. The base also recently was the first to receive an “outstanding” rating from the Air Combat Command inspector general under a new base rating system.

“The wing and this location at D-M are strategic for the Air Force,” Nowland said. “This base is strategically located and well-positioned for the future.”

Campbell, 42, who previously served as an Afghanistan country director for the undersecretary of defense, is no stranger to Tucson.

He trained as an A-10 pilot at D-M in 1997, commanded the former 358th Fighter Squadron here from 2010 to 2012 and was deputy commander of the 355th Operations Group before leaving to attend the National War College in July 2012. Campbell commanded the 451st Air Expeditionary Group at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan in 2014 before moving to his Pentagon post in August 2014.

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Campbell thanked Meger for his service and noted that he takes over command of a base already known for excellence.

“The only outstanding rating the ACC has ever given in the new rating system pretty much speaks for itself of where the wing is right now,” he said.

Meger thanked the wing’s airmen and officers and D-M’s community supporters for their work and assistance during his two-year stint as commander, recalling vivid images of his experience ranging from the frenzied “spin-ups” to combat deployment to Thanksgiving dinners with airmen.

“Just watching this team that has done so much for this nation, and the community that has done so much for this installation, it’s just been amazing,” he said after the ceremony. “I got to be part of it, and it was my honor to serve them.”

Meger, who is 46, said he isn’t sure exactly what he’ll do now, though he and his family will stay put. Meger’s wife, Kari, grew up in Tucson, and the couple met here. Her parents attended the University of Arizona.

“Jim Meger 2.0 hasn’t been fully defined yet. We’re going to sit back, soak it all in, and we’re trying to focus on the family and the kids right now,” he said, noting the couple’s three children are getting ready to start a new school year.

“We’re planning on staying in Tucson and are excited about the possibilities — we love the community.”