Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

Hill, Sheppard wings get new COs

Col. Scott Zobrist is now in command of Hill Air Force Base’s active duty F-16 fighter wing.

In a ceremony Tuesday, Zobrist took command of the 388th Fighter Wing

Zobrist replaces Col. Scott Dennis, who will become the director of air operations for the Air Staff at the Pentagon. Dennis will be responsible for eight divisions and two field operations agencies. Prior to commanding the 388th for two years, Dennis spent one year in Iraq as commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group.

Zobrist comes from Yokota Air Base in Japan, where he served as director of operations for U.S. Forces Japan. He had been stationed at Hill with the 421st Fighter Squadron at the start of the decade.

Pilot returns to Sheppard as CO

Twenty years after Col. Kevin Schneider learned to fly at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, he returned to the base Wednesday as commander of the 80th Flying Training Wing. The wing is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.

Schneider takes over from Col. David Peterson, who is moving to the staff of NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Before arriving at Sheppard, Schneider served as vice commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Other assignments include commander of the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, and serving as aide-de-camp to Air Force Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mike Ryan and Gen. John Jumper.