New vice commander arrives

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  It's no coincidence that new 62nd Airlift Wing Vice Commander Col. Michael Hornitschek already feels right at home here at McChord.

After all, the Air Force Academy graduate was raised on an evergreen farm in Wisconsin and now resides in the Evergreen State.

Colonel Hornitschek comes to McChord after serving as the chief of the International Airmen Division in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, in Washington, D.C.

"It's wonderful for me to get back to the operational side of the Air Force," Colonel Hornitschek said. "I'm incredibly excited to be here and it's a privilege to be part of a mission as important as the combat and global airlift we execute for America."

A career-long KC-10 Extender operator, Colonel Hornitschek is a veteran of air mobility, having also served as the chief of programs analysis and systems management branch at the Joint Operational Support Airlift Center, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and as the commander of the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron at McGuire AFB, N.J.

He also served as the combat commander of the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates; the Air Force's only combined KC-10/KC-135 tanker squadron.

Colonel Hornitschek first became acquainted with the C-17 Globemaster III when McGuire transitioned to the C-17 after retiring the last active duty C-141 Starlifter in 2004. He's looking forward to getting to know the new mission and help Team McChord maintain its well-deserved worldwide reputation for excellence.

"McChord is a showcase for Air Mobility Command and the Air Force," he said. "It's so well maintained, you can really tell how much pride people here have in showing off the base they call home. With only a week on station I see a lot of great leaders at all levels across the wing as evidenced by all the awards and accolades McChord enjoys. I want to do what I can to enhance the base's reputation even further."

Colonel Hornitschek said he is also looking forward to working with the local community and Fort Lewis as the joint base process begins to take shape.

"I've observed a willingness here among our Airmen to embrace sound change for the sake of progress," he said. "That's a good thing because significant changes will be the norm in the Air Force for the next decade. That kind of proactive mindset happens because leadership embraces the type of initiative our McChord Airmen demonstrate every day. It's what allows us to be the most capable Air Force in the world, and I want to be part of that."