COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Col. Nicholas Lofthouse assumed command of the 14th Operations Group on July 18, 2024, at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Col. James Blech, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, spoke on four different points: lead boldly, lead with passion, be better every day and lead with trust.
“Trust is the bedrock upon which we will do all these hard things moving forward,” said Blech. “Trust is the essence of our unity and our war fighting capability. We train world class pilots because of it.”
Lofthouse graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in 2004 from Columbus Air Force Base. Since then, he accumulated over 1,200 flying hours in the T-37, T-38, F-15 A/B/C/D/E and the F-22A. His flying duties include qualifications as an instructor pilot, flight evaluator and mission commander.
“My folks just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary and it was in their home that I learned my primary temper for leadership, which is servant leadership,” said Lofthouse. “It starts with service. You are not there to be served, but to serve.”
Lofthouse deployed to USPACOM and to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2017 as the team leader for the Air Defense Liaison Team. Prior to this assignment, he was the Future Operations Division Chief at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“We have great memories from previously being here in Columbus,” said Lofthouse. “We love the community. We love the base, and we love the mission. We are very excited to be here.”
The 14 OG and its six squadrons are responsible for Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base. The group’s mission is to produce pilots, advance Airmen, and feed the fight.