Werner Assumes 931 SFS Command

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Preston Webb
  • 931st Air Refueling Wing
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The Air Force Reserve 931st Security Forces Squadron held an assumption of command ceremony, in which Col. Phillip B. Werner took command of the unit Feb 4, 2017, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.

Werner previously served as the 931 SFS operations officer. Werner’s ten years as an enlisted security forces Citizen Airman with the 442 SFS, Whiteman AFB, Mo., and previous experience as an operations officer in various units made him the top candidate for this command.

“There are about 2,000 squadrons in the Air Force today, so Capt. Werner is about to join a relatively small group by taking this command,” said Col. Mark S. Larson, 931st Air Refueling Wing commander. “There is no greater honor one can receive than to be trusted with command.”

931 SFS Citizen Airmen aid their active-duty counterparts, the 22 SFS, through vital contributions to the global mission of McConnell AFB.

When standing up a new unit, there is a timeline to transition into being a fully-mission-capable team. Larson said the 931 SFS beat that timeline by more than a year, allowing them to deploy Citizen Airmen sooner and alleviate the load placed on other units.

“I’m so proud of the 931 SFS. They’ve recruited, trained and deployed several [Citizen] Airmen for multiple operations,” Larson said. “In fact, one of their first deployments directly contributed to an expeditionary unit award.”

Sixteen 931 SFS Citizen Airmen deployed to the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron to provide security of personnel, equipment and property from September 2013 to January 2014. The organization was named Air Force Central Command's Outstanding Expeditionary Medium Security Forces Unit for 2013.

“This is an excellent squadron full of defenders that are top notch,” Werner said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. I’m confident they’ll help me succeed in this endeavor.”

Originally consisting of six members, the 931 SFS grew to 53 Citizen Airmen and was formally activated Oct. 1, 2011, eventually becoming the fully realized unit it is today.