98th Range Wing gets new commander Published July 24, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Oleksandra G. Manko Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- A change-of-command ceremony for the 98th Range Wing took place July 20 at 9 a.m. in the Officer's Club here. Col. Mark Koechle succeeded Col. Christopher Haave, who will assume duties as the Special Advisor to the Vice President for European Affairs at the White House in August. "Colonel Koechle was carefully selected and is the perfect choice for this command and we all have every expectation that he will carry the 98th Range Wing to new heights," said Maj. Gen. Michael Worden, the commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center here in his welcoming speech at the ceremony. The 98th Range Wing operates the Nevada Test and Training Range, the largest and most sophisticated instrumented battle space for testing and training in the United States. It encompasses three million acres of restricted land and 15,000 square miles of airspace. Prior to coming here, Colonel Koechle was commander of the 355th Operations Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., for two years. The group, which consisted of six squadrons and employed more than 400 people and 70 A/OA-10 aircraft, provided warfighters with forces for close air support, air interdiction, ground based tactical air control and airbase operations. Prior to that, he served as an advisor to the commander of NATO's largest land component headquarters at Heidelberg, Germany. The new commander is a command pilot with more than 3,700 total flying hours in three aircraft and more than 250 combat flying hours in the A-10. Colonel Koechle received his bachelor's degree in aeronautical & astronautical engineering at Purdue University, Ind., and was a distinguished graduate from Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1983. He completed undergraduate pilot training at Columbus AFB, Miss., in 1984. He also has a master's degree in aeronautical science technology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and another in national security strategy from the National War College at Ft. McNair, Washington D.C. During his 24-year Air Force career, Colonel Koechle earned the 1991 Anthony C. Shine USAF Fighter Pilot of the Year Award, a Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, a Bronze Star, a Meritorious Service medal with three oak leaf clusters, an Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, an Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, an Air Force Commendation medal with one oak leaf cluster, a Joint Service Achievement Medal and a Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
