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Colonel LaBrutta assumes command of the 72nd Air Base Wing

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Under a beautiful Oklahoma sky, Col. Bob LaBrutta assumed command of the 72nd Air Base Wing June 25. 

Maj. Gen. David Gillett, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, presided over the change of command during the outside ceremony at the Tinker Club.

Colonel LaBrutta succeeded Col. Allen Jamerson, who is transferring to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio to be chief of staff for Air Force Materiel Command. Colonel Jamerson received the Legion of Merit - First Oak Leaf Cluster for his outstanding service while at Tinker.

"We're looking forward to addressing the challenges and we're going to change them into opportunities," Colonel LaBrutta said. "I'm going to plant the flag right now and say that the 72nd Air Base Wing is going to be the premier in-garrison and expeditionary support organization in our United States Air Force."

Colonel LaBrutta is a native of Bellevue. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1981 and in May 1989 earned a commission as a Personnel Officer through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. He has served in a wide variety of assignments to include base level, major command staff, the Air Force Personnel Center, squadron command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and group command, 37th Mission Support Group, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Prior to assuming command of the 72nd ABW, he was the Director of Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.

Colonel LaBrutta takes the helm of a wing in pristine condition.

During the ceremony, General Gillett lauded the recent accomplishments of the 72nd ABW, saying it was instrumental in standing up the new 3.8 million square feet facility that was the former General Motors plant. The 72nd ABW also received 65 AFMC or Air Force level awards and was the two-time winner of the AFMC Installation Excellence Award. In supporting the warfighter, 5,400 passengers and 2,200 tons of cargo were shipped for deployments to the AOR from Tinker in the past two years.

"To the men and women of the 72nd Air Base Wing, thanks for what you do," Colonel Jamerson said, addressing the wing a final time. "Every single day you make a difference, every one of you. It doesn't matter who you are or where you work - civilian, contractor or military. We get it done and I'm proud to have been your leader."

"Your mission orders are to build on the excellent foundation that is left for you," said General Gillett to Colonel LaBrutta. "That foundation is the great team here. We're going to have many challenges in the future and there are some clouds on the horizon that will make it difficult for us to get that mission done. But there's nobody I'd rather have on the team than the LaBrutta family."