SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Col. Jeffrey D. Shulman assumed command of the 80th Flying Training Wing May 22, 2024, during a ceremony held here.
Shulman joins the 80th FTW from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea where he served as the Deputy Commander. The 80th FTW is home of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, which trains pilots for 14 partner nations.
Col. Mitchell Cok, who served as commander for roughly two months, relinquished command and resumed his position as deputy commander.
Maj. Gen. Clark J. Quinn, 19th Air Force Commander, officiated the ceremony. During his remarks, he thanked Cok for his willingness to step into the command role on short notice and provide exceptional leadership and guidance to the wing.
Quinn then spoke about Shulman, a seasoned F-16 pilot with more than 170 combat hours in the cockpit and previous experience as an instructor pilot.
“I charge you to empower your team to achieve mission success, to force the next generation of our nation's warriors to ensure readiness and to develop airmen with the competencies to fight, fight and win against any competitor anywhere and anytime,” he said.
After assuming command, Shulman addressed the crowd, thanking his wife, children and mother for their continued support. He said that training world-class pilots has never been more essential.
“Our job is to ensure that our instructors, wingman and Airmen are ready to go to war in a moment's notice,” he said. “Airpower enables freedom of movement from the joint force. It doesn’t just deter wars, it wins them. And nobody builds airpower better than ENJPPT. So, let's go get after it. Let's start burning some jet fuel. Let's end these quiet hours, our adversaries are watching. Let's put on a show and make some noise.”