JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
Col. Jonathan Boling took command of the 616th Operations Center from Col. Justin Mokrovich during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland June 20, 2023.
Lt. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, Sixteenth Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony.
“As I step into this role, I'm inspired by the exceptional talent and expertise that exists within the 616th,” Boling said. “Your team is united by a shared purpose to operate and defend our service’s cyber capabilities, provide intelligence against those capabilities, and deliver information warfare options against those capabilities to safeguard our national defense.”
Boling joins the 616th OC after previously working as the Defense Information Systems Agency, Digital Capabilities and Security Center military deputy director.
“Our mission is not just important, it's absolutely vital to our national security, the well-being of our citizens, and the prosperity of this nation,” Boling said. “In the face of rapidly advancing threats, we must be agile, adaptive and forward thinking. Our adversaries are persistent, well resourced, and highly skilled. We possess the knowledge, skills, and determination to stay one step ahead. Together we will leverage the cutting-edge technologies, innovative strategies, and intelligence driven approaches to outmaneuver our adversaries and protect our assets.”
Before relinquishing command, Mokrovich was presented the Legion of Merit by Kennedy, who highlighted the 616th OC’s accomplishments while under Mokrovich’s leadership.
“Justin’s remarkable ability to solve complex problems enabled him to command the Air Force's only information warfare operations center, superbly,” Kennedy said. “He was adept at making strategic decisions and had a significant impact on our mission."
Mokrovich reminisced about his time leading the operations center force.
“Our Airmen, our total force, our civilians and contractors, rise up and meet every single challenge and that, over the course of the past two years, has impressed me the most,” Mokrovich said. “You've nailed your job; you have taken ownership of it, because you have an enterprise impact on the whole Air Force and the rest of the services.”
The 616th OC is one of the Sixteenth Air Force’s Information Warfare warfighting units consisting of total force Airmen who are experts in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, cyber and information operations.