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Col. Robert Hamm (left), commander of the 123rd Operations Group, and Senior Master Sgt. Colin King (center), operations group first sergeant, unfurl the new unit flag of the 123rd Operations Support Squadron as Lt. Col. Matthew Groves, 123rd OSS commander, stands by to accept the guidon during a redesignation ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 24, 2013. Prior to the ceremony, the 123rd Operations Support Squadron was classified as a flight. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Horton)
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Operations Support Flight was redesignated as the 123rd Operations Support Squadron during a ceremony held here Nov. 24.
Col. Robert Hamm, commander of the 123rd Operations Group, unfurled the new unit’s flag during the ceremony and formally presented it to Lt. Col. Matthew Groves, 123rd OSS commander.
The 123rd is one of more than 40 operations support flights across the National Guard that are being converted to squadrons, which are typically larger than flights and usually exercise more administrative control.
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Col. Robert Hamm (left), commander of the 123rd Operations group, hands the 123rd Operations Support Squadron's new guidon to Lt. Col. Matthew Groves, squadron commander, during a redesignation ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 24, 2013. Prior to the ceremony, the 123rd Operations Support Squadron was classified as a flight. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Horton)
Groves took time during the ceremony to thank his fellow Airmen and family for their support.
“In all the chaos of our daily lives, the thank you is often forgotten,” he told the audience. “I’d like to include it now. Thank you sincerely for the challenges that you’ve faced in the past, for the work you accomplish today and for the obstacles that you will overcome in the future.”
The 123rd Operations Support Flight performs a variety of essential functions, including intelligence analysis and flight records.