446th OSS welcomes new commander

Lt. Col. Carl McBurnett assumed command of the 446th Operations Support Squadron in a change of command ceremony held during a live broadcast here at Heritage Hill Aug. 1.

The outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Casey Guerrero, relinquished command of the squadron with Lt. Col. Mark H. Boyd, the 446th Operations Group commander, officiating the ceremony.

Boyd thanked Guerrero for his contributions to the unit and welcomed the leadership of McBurnett.

“Casey, you have my respect, I salute your service and I absolutely thank you for your leadership,” said Boyd. “(Carl) I know you are up for the challenge because the men and women of the OSS, group and the (446th Airlift Wing) wing are counting on you.”

The virtual event allowed 446th OSS Reserve Citizen Airmen, along with family members and friends, to watch the ceremony live due to COVID-19 mitigation measures.

In the front row, two seats were empty to commemorate the memory of McBurnett’s parents.

“I wish my parents could be here today,” he said. “Thank you to them for motivating me and guiding me as a young child and keeping me positive as I chase my dreams and face my challenges. I know they are watching from above.”

McBurnett, previously served as the chief of standards and evaluations with the 728th Airlift Squadron here and the 446th Operations Group self-assessment program manager. As program manager, his contributions helped the wing garner the 2020 Maj. Gen. Junius W. Jones award.

While assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, McBurnett amassed more than 3,500 military flying hours on the C-21A, C-32, C-5A Galaxy and the C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. As a pilot, he has also served on various contingency deployments flying more than 600 combat hours. McBurnett provided airlift support to the National Science Foundation in Antarctica, as a recently certified Operation Deep Freeze instructor pilot.