125th Fighter Wing, Detachment 1, receives new commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jaimi Upthegrove
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Maj. Adam Langton assumed command of the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing, Detachment 1, during a change of command ceremony here June 14.

Langton, previously the Director of Operations for Detachment 1, replaces Lt. Col. James Spooner, who has been the Detachment 1 commander for the last 31 months.

Col. Brian Simpler, the 125th FW commander out of Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville, Fla., and host of the ceremony, said although Spooner has been an outstanding commander, he knows that Langton will lead the detachment successfully.

"Colonel Spooner, you have been an outstanding [detachment] commander," said Simpler. "You have taken care of your Airmen, kept your team focused, and you have trained hard. You should be proud of your detachment's accomplishments, which culminated recently in the finest alert force evaluation in North American Aerospace Defense Command history."

"Major Langton, you have a long history with this detachment," added Simpler. "We were here together when 9/11 happened. You know this alert mission inside and out. Lead these men and women well. I know you and your team will accept nothing less than excellence."

Langton said it has always been a goal of his to become the commander of Detachment 1, and he's very thankful for all of the support given to the detachment from the 482nd Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Base's host unit.

"It amazes me, the amount of support we receive from team Homestead," said Langton. "Our goal is to achieve our mission and be an asset to the wing. Thank you for understanding and supporting our 24 hour real-world alert mission."

Langton is already anticipating the challenges the detachment may face in the future as well as embracing the detachment's future. Detachment 1's mission is to provide the Continental NORAD Region commander with F-15 aircraft rapid response to invasions of U.S. sovereign airspace.

"I do see challenges in our future - it's a dangerous world out there," said Langton. "We are prepared for any deployments, and we will maintain 100 percent readiness."