Amundson new 944 OG commander

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Airmen, family, friends, and distinguished guests gathered in Hangar 999 for the 944th Operations Group change of command ceremony held here July 14.

Col. Bryan Cook, 944th Fighter Wing commander, was the presiding officer during the ceremony where Col. Robert Tofil relinquished command to Col. Korey Amundson.

“It took 69 seconds to decide [Amundson] would be the man for the position,” said Cook. “He cares for everybody and takes care of everything.”

Amundson was the 944 OG deputy commander before assuming his new position and has been at Luke AFB for over 15 years in many different roles.

“Fifteen years here has given me a lot of perspective on how things work here at Luke,” said Amundson.” “We do a real good job of creating fighter pilots and we’re always going to accomplish the mission, it’s just a matter of how it’s going to get done.”

A command pilot with more than 2,700 flying hours and 100 combat hours, Amundson is responsible for the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s most experienced F-16 group, an F-35 Foreign Military Sales Detachment, and an F-35 formal training unit at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

“The Air Force is smaller now than ever,” said Tofil. “We have 30 percent fewer people and 37 percent fewer aircraft than what we had in the first Gulf War. I challenge all of us to not give up and continue to work hard despite these challenges.”

Tofil has filled many positions here in the span of 22 years with the 944th and will continue to support the wing as the new wing vice commander.

The 944th Operations Group is tasked to support fully qualified, combat ready, Air Force Reserve Command F-16 and F-35 instructor pilots. These pilots support all aspects of the 56th Fighter Wing formal course training which produces 90 percent of all USAF F-16/F-35 pilots, as well as supporting the contingency deployment needs of the Combat Air Forces.