33rd OSS welcomes new commander Published July 1, 2016 By Senior Airman Stormy Archer 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. -- Lt. Col. Scott Gunn assumed command of the 33rd Operations Support Squadron from Lt. Col. Bradley Turner during a change of command ceremony June 24, 2016, here. As Turner rendered his final salute to the 33rd OSS he offered his parting words and thanked his Airmen for the work they had done. “To the 33rd OSS Jokers I simply say, thank you,” Turner said. “Each one of you standing before me worked tirelessly to achieve mission success so we could graduate F-35 pilots and train Air Force Special Operations Command intelligence professionals and you never fell short. I hope I never let you down (because) you never let me down.” Col. Ryan Suttlemyre, 33rd Operations Group commander, presided over the ceremony and praised Gunn’s past accomplishments and expressed confidence in Gunn as the new commander of the 33rd OSS. “He is a superior officer, and a fantastic instructor,” Suttlemyer said. “He is the right person for this job.” The 33rd OSS oversees the training syllabus and aircrew flight equipment for the F-35 program here. They also provide F-35 operational intelligence training and weapons and tactics training for AFSOC and the 33rd Fighter Wing. “Being able to take a step back and see the big picture and help people is something that I really look forward to,” Gunn said. “I joined the Air Force not because I wanted to be a pilot, but because I wanted to be a leader. There is such a great collection of people in the OSS. I will spend my time figuring out how I can facilitate their success and growth.” Gunn is a senior pilot with more than 1,750 flight hours, including more than 100 hours in the F-35A. His assignments range from being an instructor pilot in Japan to working at the Strategic Policy Fellowship in Washington D.C. “My experiences have given me a broader prospective of the Air Force and an understanding of the questions people ask at a wing level,” Gunn said. “Getting to see the way things are done at the Headquarters of the Air Force level helps understand that there are bigger reasons for why we operate the way we do. My responsibility as commander is to be a translator and conduit to help people understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’.” After receiving the guidon and saluting his new squadron for the first time Gunn expressed his excitement for the opportunity to lead the men and women of the 33rd OSS. “I want everyone to know, I am here to support you,” Gunn said. “I look forward to the future and for us to continue to provide and polish the support required to take the F-35 through initial operating capability and to full operational capability; as well as continuing to educate intelligence officers and enlisted members within the F-35 community and AFSOC. I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity.”