Colonel Benson passes wing to new hands

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  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Col. Bryan Benson, 71st Flying Training Wing commander, passes command of the wing to Col. Richard Klumpp in a 10 a.m. ceremony today.
Maj. Gen. Marc Rogers, 19th Air Force commander, will preside over the ceremony, which takes place at the parade field adjacent to Bldg. 500.
Colonel Benson has commanded the 71st FTW since February 2005. He moves on to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., where he becomes the executive officer to the Air Mobility Command commander.
"The past 20 months have been absolutely wonderful. I could not have asked for a finer military, civilian and contract force than what I had the privilege to lead," Colonel Benson said. "Their dedication and professionalism were evident day in and day out and are represented by the numerous award-winning people and programs. My hat's off to each and every member of Team Vance and I thank them all for their service and their sacrifice."
Colonel Benson said he will miss the people of Team Vance the most.
"You will not find a finer fighting force or community who supports the fighting force than the 71st Flying Training Wing and the City of Enid," he said. "Vance holds a special place in my heart because this is where I started my flying career and it was a 'no brainer' to come back as the commander when the opportunity presented itself. I will surely miss that aspect as I go forward in my career. Don't be surprised, however, if you find the Benson family back in the area in the future."
Under Colonel Benson's command, the wing flew more than 120,000 flying hours, completed more than 93,000 sorties and graduated more than 570 student pilots on time, including 30 students from Pakistan, Kuwait, Italy and Portugal, all with zero Class A or B incidents. His dedication to safety led to Vance receiving the Gen. Frank P. Lahm trophy for outstanding flying safety for the third consecutive year.
Colonel Benson's leadership was also integral in executing $15 million in military construction and wing enhancements vital to supporting the future Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training mission. This included construction and destruction projects across the base, including 54 new military family houses, an eight-bay T-1A maintenance hangar and a new consolidated logistics complex.
Another one of Colonel Benson's accomplishments was his implementation of a plan ensuring Vance "will remain a viable part of our nation's defense and a great environment to work and live in for the next 50 years," said Lt. Col. Bob Brumley, 71st FTW director of staff.
"It has been a great blessing for Team Vance to have Colonel Benson as the wing commander for the past 19 months," Colonel Brumley said. "He leads from the front, but ensures the credit for any accomplishment is given to the entire team. He lets commanders be commanders by letting them run their units, but holds them accountable."
Colonel Benson is a 1982 graduate of Parks College of Saint Louis University and received his commission as a Distinguished Graduate of the AFROTC program. He is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flight hours in the T-37B, T-38A/C, T-1A, C-141B and KC-135R/T aircraft including combat and combat support missions in Operations Desert Storm, Decisive Endeavor, Northern Watch and Deliberate Forge. His past assignments include tours at Charleston AFB, S.C.; Nellis AFB, Nev.; Scott AFB, Ill.; Robins AFB, Ga.; National War College, Washington, D.C.; the Pentagon; and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom.
(71st FTW Public Affairs)