JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- The Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Maintenance Squadron gained a new commander, Lt. Col. Elim H. Sniady, during an assumption of command ceremony July 11, 2021, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
Col. Matthew R. Hummel, 192nd Maintenance Group commander, presided over the ceremony.
"You're about to start the best job you will ever have,” Hummel said to Sniady. “Your experience…has prepared you for this next chapter...You’re not here to fill someone else’s shoes, you’re going to stand on shoulders and lead this squadron to new heights."
Sniady was commissioned in 2005 upon graduation from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. In November 2005, she completed her technical training as an aircraft maintenance officer at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. She served five years active duty filling various maintenance positions at JBLE and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In 2010, Sniady transferred to the VaANG where she has served in various roles including maintenance officer for both the 192nd MXS and the 192nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, director of inspections for the 192nd Wing and 1st Fighter Wing, and her most recent position as the ANG Combat Air Forces advisor.
"The strength of the Guard is its Airmen, and at its core is its DSGs [drill status Guardsmen], citizen Airmen from all walks of life who bring resourcefulness and innovation naturally born from diversity of experience and thought,” Sniady addressed the 192nd MXS Airmen. “... I am honored to lead this combat ready team for as long as I am permitted. Though I can make no promises about the future, I will say this, I have lived my life, professional and personal, by three main precepts: personal integrity, hard work, and always leaving it better than you found it. You can expect the same from me here. And together, we will do what we can to make this unit what we and the Nation need it to be."
VaANG Airmen train and fight side-by-side with active-duty Airmen as part of the total force integration between the 1st FW and 192nd Wing, contributing to the Combat Air Forces’ warfighting capabilities. The partnership was established in 2005 and allows the VaANG to share in the support of airpower worldwide, including the maintenance and operation of the F-22 Raptor. Due to this TFI relationship, Sniady took the time to also address the 1st FW, AMXS, and Fighter Squadron partners.
"Regardless of the struggles we may face juggling priorities and resources, the only way we all win is when no one loses," said Sniady. "My promise to you is to always work to find common ground because after all, we are here for the same goal: to produce combat ready Airmen and aircraft capable of defending our nation and dissuading our adversaries from attack."