New commander to take Ninth Air Force helm Published May 28, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Amanda Currier Ninth Air Force/U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- A new leader will take command of Ninth Air Force May 31 during a change of command ceremony here at 9:09 a.m. in Hangar 1200. Maj. Gen. H. D. Polumbo Jr. will take command of Ninth Air Force from Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells during the event. Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., will preside over the ceremony. Approximately 300 people, service members, civil servants, community leaders, and their families, are expected to attend the hour-long event. General Polumbo is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including combat sorties in Operation Northern Watch. He is the first Air Force general officer to fly the U-2S in combat; he completed 21 operational U-2 missions in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The general is also qualified in piloting the MC-12W. He takes over Ninth Air Force after serving as the deputy commander-air to U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. General Wells will retire after serving 35 years in the Air Force. His retirement ceremony will immediately follow the change of command. Media members who wish to attend and cover the change of command must RSVP to Staff Sgt. Amanda Currier via e-mail to 9afpa.orgbox@afcent.af.mil and amanda.currier@afcent.af.mil by noon May 30. Attending media must arrive at the Shaw Air Force Base Visitors' Center at the base's Main Gate by 8:15 a.m. May 31. Late arrivals and media members who don't RSVP may be unable to gain access to the base. Reporters with video camera equipment should bring wireless microphones to best facilitate audio coverage of this event. Please call 803-895-4322 for more information.