Vitosh assumes command

Published May 5, 2012
By 1st Lt. Zach Anderson
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Lt. Col. Eric A. Vitosh assumed command of the 18th Air Refueling Squadron during a change of command ceremony held here today.

Vitosh had formerly served as a flight commander in the 18 ARS, and will replace outgoing 18 ARS commander, Lt. Col. Anthony P. Brusca. Brusca has served as the 18 ARS commander since 2009.

"The ceremony today is really all about Lt. Col. Vitosh, but this is also my opportunity to say 'thank you' to the members of the 18th Air Refueling Squadron," said Brusca during his departing remarks.

Col. William H. Mason, commander of the 931st Air Refueling Group, presided over the ceremony.

"A change of command represents an opportunity. It's an opportunity to grow and to take the next step," said Mason. "Lt. Col. Vitosh is the right person for the job at the right time, and I look forward to working with him."

In addressing his squadron for the first time as commander, Vitosh urged his Airmen to embrace the changes they will face in the future.

"Change is inevitable. Our attitudes will either make or break us as a unit. Be courageous, and have confidence to do the right thing," he said.

Vitosh began his enlisted career in 1987 and was accepted into the Air Force Academy in 1988 as part of the Enlisted Airman Development Program. Following his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1993, he began Air Force Pilot Training and graduated in 1994.

Vitosh served in a variety of capacities during an active duty career that spanned more than a decade. In 2002, he joined the Air Force Reserve as a member of the 18th Air Refueling Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. He has served on several deployments to locations in both Europe and Southwest Asia.

Vitosh is a command pilot with more than 3,700 hours in the KC-135 Stratotanker.