JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND –
The 502nd Installation Support Group will change senior leaders during a change of ceremony command Friday at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Gateway Club.
Col. Alexander Smith will assume command of the group from Col. William Eger III, who heads to Fort Meade,
Md., to become deputy director of network services at the Defense Information Systems Agency.
Eger said his time at JBSA-Lackland has flown by since arriving in August 2012 to command the 802nd Mission Support Group, the 502nd ISG's predecessor.
"It has been a very quick two years," he said. "It's gone by in the blink of an eye."
Eger guided the group through its transformation from a traditional wing structure to a functional structure when the 502nd Air Base Wing reorganized JBSA support areas to improve command and control, simplify operations and reduce overhead. The reorganization took effect last December.
The 802nd MSG had been JBSA-Lackland specific in its support functions while also assisting its partners at JBSA-Randolph and JBSA- Fort Sam Houston. The new realignment streamlined support functions into one organization with customer service centers at each JBSA location.
Consolidated under the 502nd ISG at JBSA-Lackland were civil engineering, communications and operations support squadron functions and sustainment for all JBSA locations. In addition, the group was also responsible for airfield operations support at JBSA-Lackland.
"There's never been a dull moment with what went on," Eger said. "Through the transformation, we lost some organizations, but the mission set grew immensely.
"We had people come to Lackland from Randolph, Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis to help solve problems," he said. "That to me is a true sense of what we do. It wasn't just taking care of the location you were assigned to; it was going where you're called to go. They were true professionals all around."
Although the past two years have been fast paced, Eger said it's been an enjoyable time.
"Even though there were issues, there was a lot of laughter," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of what we've done. I'd like to give a heartfelt warm thanks to all that were here. The folks were just fantastic."
Smith, who graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in San Antonio, comes to JBSA-Lackland from the
Pentagon after spending the last year at Headquarters Air Force as chief of the Joint Information Environment Division,
Cyberspace Operations Directorate.