69th Fighter Squadron Welcomes New Commander

  • Published
  • By Capt. Elizabeth Magnusson
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 69th Fighter Squadron welcomed a new commander during a change-of-command ceremony here November 4.

Lt. Col. Bob Whitehouse, former 332nd Operations Group deputy commander, succeeded Lt. Col. Miguel Torrealday as commander of the 69th Fighter Squadron. Col. David Garfield, commander of the 944th Operations Group, presided over the ceremony.

"[Torrealday], you have left the squadron in great shape. Thank you for your diligent efforts over the last 18 months," said Whitehouse during the ceremony.

About 150 people gathered for the ceremony. The spouses of Whitehouse and Torrealday, along with other family members and friends, attended the ceremony.

"Werewolves, your performance and devotion to our nation's defense are second to none and you are the Air Force model for Total Force. Thank you for your dedication. Our history is rich and steeped in tradition and I'm honored to have this opportunity," said Whitehouse to the men and women of the 69th Fighter Squadron.

"Those who have worn the 69th Fighter Squadron patch in the past and those who continue to do so today know it is an honor and a privilege," Whitehouse continued.

As commander, Whitehouse will oversee the 69th Fighter Squadron, which provides fully qualified, combat ready, Air Force Reserve Command F-16 instructor pilots to support all aspects of 56th Fighter Wing formal course training, as well as providing support for contingency deployment needs of the Combat Air Forces.

Whitehouse is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours primarily in the F-16C, including over 290 hours of combat experience. Previous assignments include director of staff for the 56th Fighter Wing and deputy commander of the 56th Operations Group, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.


The Change of Command Ceremony

The change of command ceremony is a military tradition, deeply rooted in history, and dating back to the time of Frederick the Great of Prussia. In that period, military organizations developed flags bearing specialized colors and designs unique to each organization. When soldiers followed their leaders into combat, they kept sight of these flags. If a banner still waved after the conflict, it was a sign that their side had not tasted defeat on the field of battle.

Because of its symbolic importance, the flag was incorporated into ancient change of command ceremonies. The organizational banner was exchanged in public for all to witness the naming of the new leader of the forces. The modern ceremony is also symbolic, and continues to announce to all the authority of the incoming commander in the finest of military traditions.

69th Fighter Squadron

The 69th Fighter Squadron, known as the Werewolves, was an operational and replacement training unit from, March 1942-April 1943. It went on to fly combat missions in Southwest and Western Pacific from, 17 February 1944-14 August 1945 and in Korea from, 10 July 1952-27 July 1953. The 69th provided air defense in South Korea from, July 1953-June 1958 and advanced training in F-104s for German pilots from, 1969-1983. It again saw combat in Southwest Asia from, January-February 1991. In 2010, the 69th Fighter Squadron re-activated in the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, AZ.