After two years in command of Columbus Air Force Base, Col. John “Boris” Nichols is moving on.
Nichols, who assumed command of CAFB’s 14th Flying Training Wing in July 2014, left for Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Friday after relinquishing his command to Col. Douglas “Goz” Gosney. CAFB held a change of command ceremony Friday morning to officially commemorate the occasion. Major General James B. Hecker, commander of the 19th Air Force, presided over the ceremony.
Hecker lauded Nichols’ accomplishments during his years with the base and said Gosney will pick up where Nichols is leaving off.
“He is going to be a tremendous asset to build on what Nichols built here, and I am excited to see what Beth (Gosney’s wife) and Goz do for Columbus,” Hecker said.
Gosney previously served as commander of the 2nd Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base. Gosney is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours, primarily in the B-52 “Stratofortress” strategic bomber and the T-38 “Talon” trainer. He’s deployed in or supported Operations Desert Thunder, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve and the Pacific Air Force’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission.
Gosney said he’s been in Columbus for about a week and has enjoyed the area. He said he and his family are looking forward to their time at CAFB with the 14th FTW.
“It’s been outstanding,” he said. “We’ve had an incredible reception. It’s a beautiful area. The people have been so friendly. We’re just excited to be here and be part of the mission and serve with our community partners and our airmen here at Team BLAZE.”
Gosney said he wants to take a few weeks observe the wing before he develops plans. But, he said everything seems to be going well from what he has already observed.
“We’re just going to find ways to continue to improve and make ourselves even better,” he said.
Still, Gosney called it an honor to assume command of the 14th FTW, and said the wing plays a vital role for the Air Force.
“This mission is incredibly important,” Gosney said. “It’s foundational to our Air Force, and if we don’t get this mission right, whether that’s training pilots or any Air Force career, it’s really hard to do the mission at the next level.”
Gosney said the ties between base and community are very important, and he said CAFB and Columbus seem to enjoy a strong relationship.
“When you get selected for an assignment, you ask around and say ‘Hey, how’s the area and what’s the base like,'” he said. “You almost always hear someone say something that isn’t necessarily positive. Not a single person has had a single bad thing to say about the area. They all love it. They say they’d come back here in a second.”
A fond farewell
During the ceremony, Nichols said he would miss the 14th FTW, along with Columbus and the base’s Golden Triangle Partners. Still, he said he believes the base will be in capable hands under Gosney’s command.
“There’s no doubt that your leadership will take the wing to new heights,” Nichols said.
Nichols emphasized a number of projects around the base during his tenure, including a renovation of the Columbus Club events center and a $24 million medical center project.
Under Nichols’ command, the 14th Flying Training Wing trained and graduated 619 pilots — nearly one-third of the U.S. Air Force’s pilot production. The 14th FTW also trained 74 international officers from 26 countries.
CAFB was the Air Force’s busiest airfield under Nichols’ command, with pilots launching more than 109,000 flights and logging more than 156,000 flight hours.
Nichols also played an essential role in organizing the 81st Fighter Squadron, which is stationed at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. The 81st Fighter Squadron, which is part of the 14th FTW, trains Afghan A-29 “Super Tucano” pilots and maintainers.
“This has been the most rewarding assignment of my career,” Nichols said. “This is a wing full of superstars.
“All I can say is thank you for the opportunity to serve with you and for all of your support over the past two years,” Nichols later added.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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