TAMPA, Fla. — MacDill Air Force Base is gearing up for a change of command.
On Friday, Col. Benjamin R. Jonsson will hand over command of the 6th Air Refueling Wing. Col. Adam D. Bingham will take over.
Bingham arrives from Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, where he commanded the 47th Operations Group. With more than 350 student pilots graduating annually, the military says Laughlin AFB is the largest pilot training base on Earth.
"Bingham has a Master's Degree in Executive Leadership and Strategic Studies and a Bachelor's Degree in Communications/Public Relations," a public affairs officer wrote in an email announcing the change of leadership. "He is a pilot with more than 3,500 flight hours in the T-6, T-1, and C-17 aircraft."
According to a biography, at Laughlin AFB, Bingham managed training of U.S. and allied pilots – while also overseeing 1,100 active duty, civilian and reserve personnel.
Col Bingham joined the Air Force in 2002. After graduating officer training school and undergraduate pilot training, he began flying the C-17 Globemaster III.
He was deployed overseas three times as a command pilot, logging more than 900 combat and combat support flight hours. You can read more about his military career by clicking here.