461st Flight Test Squadron welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Meredith Mingledorff
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 461st Flight Test Squadron said goodbye to Lt. Col. George H. Griffiths, Jr. after nearly three years of command and welcomed incoming commander, Lt. Col. George N. Schwartz at a change-of-command here Jan. 12.

"Today we bid farewell to a terrific leader and commander," said Col. Christopher P. Azzano, commander, 412th Operations Group. "He leaves here with an extraordinary record of achievement."

Col. Azzano went on to thank Col. Griffiths for his service to the men and women of the 461st FLTS saying he put the needs of the squadron and its Airmen above his own for the entire tenure of his leadership and built the unit into an incredible squadron.

"This job is every Test Pilot School grad's dream," said Lt. Col. Griffiths. "Who would have thought we would go on to fly 8 sorties, per tail, per month? This is an amazing team."

The former commander remarked about the accomplishments of the squadron and credited the connectedness of the team. He said respect, being tight knit are what make the unit remarkable.

"We are so seamless here, you can spend all day with us as a visitor and not know who is a government employee and who is a contractor, that speaks to our integration and how we all have the same objectives and goals in mind," said Griffiths.

Before handing over command, Griffiths said the 461st FLTS was more of an Integrated Test Family as opposed to an Integrated Test Force and offered the incoming commander a bit of advice, "Take care of your people, they are your most valuable resource and they are not easily replaced."

In introducing the incoming commander, Azzano said, "Lt. Col. Schwartz is a warrior, academic powerhouse, and Beltway veteran. His background made him the perfect fit for this position."

In appreciation, Lt. Col. Schwartz said, "I am honored and humbled."

Vowing to take good care of the men and women of the unit he added, "This is a team effort requiring each of your talents. I know we will demand the very best from each other. When F-35 is called upon to defend this nation, each of you will be extremely proud of what was accomplished here."

Lt. Col. George N. Schwartz comes to Edwards from the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office in Arlington, Va. where he most recently served as the F-35 Current Requirements Lead. According to his biography, he was also the lead representative for system development and demonstration phase requirements and has provided operational, tactical, and administrative support for U.S. Air Force F-35 within the Air System Requirements Integrated Product Team. In addition, he was the lead coordinating agent for the U.S. Air Force on all Joint Requirements Oversight Council items.

Lt. Col. Schwartz is a 1996 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and hold a Master's in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a combat veteran, with 210 combat missions and more than 2200 hours in 37 different aircraft. He is joined here at Edwards by his wife Erika and their two children, Elena, and Aidan.