NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The 99th Medical Group held a change of command ceremony June 29, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Col. Virginia Garner, 99th MDG outgoing commander, was responsible for a patent population of over 10,000 active duty members and more than 238,000 Department of Defense Veteran’s Affairs eligible beneficiaries.
“We asked our team to focus on readiness, patient safety, our teaching mission and continuous process improvement,” said Garner. “It’s been my honor and privilege to be a part of this team and I will miss you all.”
Col. Al Flowers Jr., 99th MDG incoming commander, said he was looking forward to working with the men and women that make up the 99th Air Base Wing.
“I look forward to taking the next steps in this exciting journey with you,” said Flowers. “Together, we will enable mission success by delivering innovative support.”
Change of command ceremonies are deeply rooted in military history. In modern day ceremonies, the flag is symbolic and is used to indicate authority over a unit. The outgoing commander surrenders the flag to the incoming commander, who at that moment assumes command.