As commander of the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Perry will command 16 units with an inventory of nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft valued at $1.7 billion. The wing includes more than 1,700 airmen charged with providing worldwide movement of personnel and cargo, with missions ranging from aeromedical evacuation to worldwide strategic airlift.
Perry first entered the Air Force enlisting in the Indiana Air National Guard, 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, Indiana in February 1990 as an aircraft armament systems specialist, according to his Air Force biography.
Following technical training he served as a traditional guardsman until 1997. Perry was then selected to attend officer training school followed by undergraduate pilot training, transferring to the Air Force Reserves, 72nd Air Refueling Squadron, 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana.
After graduating from officer training school and earning his commission, he attended undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.
Perry also was the commander of the 434th Operations Group, Grissom ARB, Indiana.
The previous commander, Col. Raymond A. Smith Jr., retired, a representative of the unit said.
The 445th Airlift Wing is the only flying mission based at Wright-Patterson. In 2023, the wing flew 1,134 sorties for a total of 3,970 flying hours in 175 missions. The wing transported 5,981 passengers and delivered more than 17.4 million pounds of cargo.
In all, the wing deployed 169 personnel in 2023. This included 140 airmen who deployed in 72 hours to provide support in an undisclosed U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
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