JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The 149th Fighter Squadron welcomed Lt. Col. Gregory Ebert, former 149th FS Director of Operations, as the new 149th Fighter Squadron commander during a change of command ceremony May 4, 2019 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
Ebert took command of the unit from Lt. Col. Michael Schaner, who had served as their commander since Jan. 20, 2018.
“One of the primary reasons why the 149th is so good is the vision and leadership of ‘Bok’ Schaner,” said Col. Darren P. Gray, 192nd Operations Group commander. “[He] is a legend in the F-22 community.”
Schaner was the third pilot to reach 1000 hours in the F-22 Raptor. He flew in the first F-22 four-ship formation to engage the enemy in combat operations. Schaner joined the U.S. Air Force in 1999 and served as an F-15 Eagle pilot prior to transitioning to the F-22 and will be retiring later this year completing his 20-year career.
“The 149th Fighter Squadron is the world’s greatest fighter squadron in no small part due to the leadership of ‘Disco’ Ebert,” said Gray. “Congratulations on earning the opportunity to lead the finest aviators, aviation resource management and squadron medical element professionals in the world. I look forward to watching you push this organization to new heights.”
Ebert joined the U.S. Air Force in 2000 and has been assigned to the 149th FS since 2012. He has served as their Weapons Officer, Assistant Director of Operations and Director of Operations. He is an F-22 Evaluator Pilot with over 1800 hours in fighter aircraft.
“It is an awesome responsibility to command the 149th Fighter Squadron, with roots dating back to 1942,” said Ebert. “I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the commonwealth and our nation in this capacity.”
The change of command ceremony is a military tradition rooted in history in which uniquely developed flags for each organization are publicly exchanged from the hands of the former commander to the hands of the new commander. This ceremony symbolically marks the change of leadership in military organizations.