JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Darrick Lee relinquished command of the 3rd Audiovisual Squadron to Maj. Karl Wiest during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland July 9.
Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Hignite, Air Force Public Affairs Agency commander, was the presiding officer of the ceremony.
“During my short two years as part of your team, I’ve grown increasingly proud of how each of you has fulfilled your duties as professional communicators, and how you’ve brought honor to the squadron through your work and how you repeatedly sacrificed for the benefit of our Air Force,” Lee said. “There were challenges, of course, but those challenges were more than overcome by our successes.”
Following the passing of the guidon, Wiest received his first salute as the 3AVS commander and began the next chapter for the squadron.
“Whether you’re in uniform or a civilian teammate, please know I’m grateful for your service especially in these dynamic times,” Wiest said. “Today, conflict is no longer contained on the traditional battlefield. Our nation's rivals are exploiting and weaponizing the information environment, and using information and imagery in the warfighting domain at the speed of relevance.
Wiest was most recently a student at Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island. He previously served at Headquarters U.S. Africa Command, Stuggart, Germany, from August 2019 to July 2020 as the public affairs strategy and plans branch chief. Weist was the first-ever public affairs officer for Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah, Afghanistan.
Wiest was commissioned in 2008 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Syracuse University, where he received his bachelor of arts in international relations.
Lee is headed to the Department of the Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office in Hollywood, California.