LOUISVILLE, Ky. –
Col. Matthew Quenichet took charge of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing during a change-of-command ceremony here Oct. 11, pledging to continue the unit's commitment to service and excellence.
“This wing has an incredible history of achievement, and I do not take this opportunity lightly," he told an audience of friends, family and colleagues gathered in the Fuel Cell Hangar at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base. "Our goal, over the next couple of years, is to continue to provide our state and nation with an impressive array of capabilities to meet whatever challenges may come.”
Quenichet also talked about plans, unveiled in February, to fundamentally alter the structure and employment of the Air Force for the first time in decades to optimize forces for conflict with peer enemies.
“We’re at the start of a significant shift in the way we are organized and deployed, and I believe it creates an opportunity to train and prepare our entire unit together in a way we have never fully experienced,” he said. “I’m excited to do it with all of you together. We have built an incredible reputation in this wing, and I can’t wait to see how far we can move it forward.”
A longtime member of the unit, Quenichet most recently served as commander of the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Operations Group. He replaces Col. Bruce Bancroft, who has led the wing since 2021 and is moving to a new leadership role at Joint Force Headquarters–Kentucky.
Brig. Gen. David Mounkes, who officiated the ceremony, praised Quenichet for his superior mastery of operational factors, saying he possesses “a graduate-level knowledge of the mission of the 123rd Airlift Wing.”
“You also care deeply about all of the men and women of the wing,” said Mounkes, Kentucky's assistant adjutant general for Air. “I know you will work hard to build upon the forward momentum of operational prowess that the Kentucky Air National Guard is known for. You have the kind of outstanding command ability and leader DNA required to step into this role as the next wing commander.”
Quenichet’s military career spans 24 years, including nearly 17 with the Kentucky Air Guard. The master navigator joined the active-duty Air Force in 1998 after graduating from Purdue University and earned his commission through Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He then began a lengthy career as a C-130 navigator, including assignments as a schoolhouse instructor and chief of navigator programs at 19th Air Force.
Quenichet joined the Kentucky Air Guard in 2007, where he has served as director of operations and commander of the 165th Airlift Squadron. He has deployed multiple times in support of Operations Joint Forge and Enduring Freedom, including a tour as director of operations for the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Combat Action Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Bancroft, the outgoing commander, leaves a legacy of impressive achievements, Mounkes told the audience, including the wing's distinguished participation in Air Defender, Allies Refuge, Allies Welcome, Freedom’s Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, Iron Riptide, Joint Task Force-GITMO, Juniper Shield and Mobility Guardian while simultaneously responding to natural disasters across the state, including deadly tornadoes and massive flooding.
The wing also successfully navigated two Air Mobility Command-level inspections and transitioned to a new airframe, replacing nearly 30-year-old planes with C-130J Super Hercules aircraft featuring state-of-the art capabilities. As a result of this sustained level of achievement, the wing recently earned its 20th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and a Meritorious Unit Award.
“Bruce is known for saying nobody likes a bragger,” Mounkes said. “When I think of your leadership over the last three years, there's no doubt that you moved the ball forward and added to the excellence of the 123rd Airlift Wing.”
Bancroft described his time as wing commander as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his life.
“When I look back, these three years have been an absolute blur,” he said. “Shortly after moving into the new office, we received a call to open Volk Field, Wisconsin, for the Afghan refugee movement. That request immediately expanded to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in what would become Operations Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome.
“Shortly after, we welcomed our first J-models to Kentucky and began a complete weapons system conversion. I expected to see somewhat of a break in our ops tempo, but that never seemed to happen. Smack dab in the middle of conversion, it felt like we were as busy as we've ever been supporting exercises, deploying Airmen overseas and flying missions across the globe. Then as new aircraft were still arriving, we jumped into Thunder Over Louisville and a wing-wide AMC inspection.
“At the time, it was 100 percent overwhelming, and I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. Then I made a very deliberate effort to surround myself with a team of professionals. That turned chaos into structure, and not only turned the wing commander position into something manageable, it made the job enjoyable.”
Bancroft then paid tribute to the men and women of the 123rd Airlift Wing for an unwavering commitment to excellence and dedication to teamwork.
“I've been in multiple units over a 29-year career, and I can count on one hand those times where everything just clicked. It was the right mission at the right time with the right people and the right personalities — and this was one of those times.
“I want to thank the entire wing for the successful transition we've made to the J-model. That was truly a benchmark undertaking in the history of this wing, and you absolutely crushed it. The aircraft is amazing. I believe in my core it's the best aircraft ever created, and it was my honor to fly it. But it’s not the aircraft that made the conversion special. It’s the people that put in the time, the grit and the training to generate, maintain, support and fly that aircraft to its maximum potential.
“That dedication and incredibly high competency was evident not just during the conversion. It is apparent every single day in everything you do. You are without a doubt living up to the Air Force core value of excellence. I appreciate you making this the finest airlift wing in the Air Force.”
The 123rd Airlift Wing, located at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, has more than 1,200 members and eight C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Its members have deployed to dozens of countries around the world over the past 23 years, serving more than a half-million days in virtually every major operation since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The wing’s missions include tactical airlift, contingency and disaster response, combat control, pararescue and explosive ordnance disposal. It is one of the most decorated units in the history of the United States Air Force.