57th Wing under new leadership Published Aug. 1, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Oleksandra G. Manko Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- A change of command for the 57th Wing took place July 31 at 8:57 a.m. in the Thunderbird Hangar here. Brigadier Gen. Stephen Hoog succeeded Brig. Gen. William Rew, who moves on to become the Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy director, as well as Air, Space and Information Operations, Plans and Requirements deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington D.C. The 57th Wing is the largest composite wing in the Air Force. It consists of five groups and oversees the dynamic and challenging missions for most flying operations at Nellis. The Thunderbirds and the USAF Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School also report directly to the 57th Wing commander. "To oversee this complex, high tempo, high octane wing truly requires our very best leaders, and we got the number one pick in the draft to lead this wing," Maj. Gen. Michael Worden, U. S. Air Force Warfare Center Commander said in his opening comments of the ceremony. Prior to coming here, General Hoog was the director of Air Component Coordination Element, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq. In addition, he also served as the commander for the Coalition Air Force Transition Team responsible to the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq for standing up the Iraqi Air Force. Prior to that he was the commander of Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center, Air Combat Command, at Langley AFB, Va. General Hoog received his Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., as a distinguished graduate in 1979. He also holds a master's degree in political science from Auburn University, Ala., which he completed in 1997. During his 28 years of serving in the Air Force, General Hoog earned a Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, an Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, a Meritorious Unit Award, a Combat Readiness Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Armed Forces Service Medal and a NATO Medal.
