LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Welch,19th Operations Group commander, relinquished command to Col. Michael Trimble during a change of command ceremony on April 30, 2026, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
Col. Bret Echard, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing, presided over the ceremony as Team Little Rock said farewell to Col. Welch and his family and welcomed Col. Trimble and his family.
“Col. Welch, thank you. Your impact has been immense,” said Col. Echard. “You have unequivocally elevated the reputation and legacy of the 19th Operations Group as the lethal force it is today.”
As he relinquished command, Welch took a moment to reminisce on his time here at LRAFB and thank the Airmen, who worked alongside him.
“The spirit of operations endures in the heart of every Airmen here,” said Welch. “The courage of our crews, the excellence of our maintainers and the professionalism of our medics and mission support. On day 675, I’m as confident as ever that the spirit of operations exists in everyone one of you, regardless of the circumstances and challenges set before you. When that beautiful iron war horse rotates the skyward it is lifted by the pride of every Airmen no matter the patch on your sleeve or. Core truth.”
Under his leadership, the group conducted over 10,000 sorties, transported more than 26,000 passengers and logged over 26,000 flight hours. Additionally, his leadership enabled the rapid deployment of crews that formed the entirety of United States Central Command’s tactical airlift for Operation EPIC FURY, utilizing the world’s largest C-130J Mission Generation Force Element.
During Welch’s tenure, the group reached unprecedented heights and Echard said he knows Trimble, the incoming commander, will continue to take this to even higher heights.
As Trimble assumed command, he took a moment to tell the audience that he’s excited to be back at the epicenter of tactical airlift. He described himself as lucky to be back here and even luckier to serve alongside the 19th OG’s talented teammates.
“We have an awesome, righteous mission (delivering) combat airlift operations to maneuver and sustain the joint force defending our nation,” said Trimble about the can-do culture that makes up Herk Nation. “To sum it up, there is nowhere I’d rather be than the 19th Operations Group.”