Lt. Col. Noel takes command of the 72nd ARS Published June 13, 2016 By Staff Sgt. Katrina Heikkinen 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Deeply rooted in military tradition since the middle ages, change of command ceremonies afford service members the opportunity to witness the symbolic passing of the torch in the presence of friends, family members and fellow Airmen.Keeping up with military tradition, Col. Mark Sigler, 434th Operations Group commander and officiating officer, passed the guidon from Lt. Col. Erik Aufderheid, relinquishing commander, to Lt. Col. Anne Noel, as she accepted command of the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron during a change of command ceremony here June 4.“I am so honored and blessed to be back here at Grissom,” Noel said. ”It’s a privilege to serve with all of you – I feel like I’ve come back home.”A native of Wood River, Nebraska, west of Offutt Air Force Base [Nebraska], Noel was inspired at a young age to join the U.S. Air Force.“Growing up on a farm in the middle of Nebraska, at an early age, [I] had a deep sense of patriotism instilled in me,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to serve my country because I was so thankful for all the freedoms I had been blessed with. I heard about the Air National Guard and told [my parents] I was joining. Unfortunately, I was 17 years old and needed a permission slip signed. They said no, but I persisted. Finally, after eight months, the permission slip was signed.”Noel began her Air Force career as an enlisted administrative assistant – a choice she decided upon in order to keep a scholarship. Four years later, she graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1997 and received a direct commission to 2nd lieutenant as a clinical nurse. After the 155th Air Refueling Wing transitioned to KC-135R Stratotankers in 1997, Noel entered pilot training as a 1st lieutenant, where she went on to fly in the Nebraska Air National Guard.Prior to Noel’s return to Grissom, she served at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, as a United States European Command war planner. Preceding that, she served at Grissom as a KC-135R Stratotanker instructor pilot, evaluator pilot and operations officer from 2005 to 2015 before coming full circle as a squadron commander.As the 72nd ARS commander, Noel will ensure rapid global mobility for a full spectrum of operations by educating, training, equipping and deploying aircrew and support personnel.“Being a squadron commander, in my opinion, is the best job in the Air Force because it’s the maximum intersection of being involved with the mission and being involved with the people,” Sigler said.The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.Stay connected, visit Grissom on Facebook and Twitter.
