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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Colonel Benjamin Spencer, 319th Air Base Wing commander, answered questions alongside Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force and John Hoeven, U.S. Senator of North Dakota about the future of the RQ-4 Global Hawk mission during the announcement of the upcoming re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Michael Reeves Jr.)190511-F-JG073-0006
                        
                        
                        Col. Benjamin Spencer, 319th Air Base Wing commander, answered questions alongside Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota about the future of the RQ-4 Global Hawk mission during the announcement of the upcoming re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019, at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Michael Reeves Jr.)
                
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        Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force, announced the 319th Air Base Wing’s upcoming re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The re-designation, initiated by Commander Air Combat Command Gen. Mike Holmes, aligns Grand Forks AFB’s host wing and the 69th Reconnaissance Group.  The 69 RG, which flies the high-altitude, remotely-piloted RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, has been aligned under the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, since it initiated operations as a tenant at Grand Forks AFB in 2011. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Michael Reeves Jr.)190511-F-JG073-0005
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced the 319th Air Base Wing’s upcoming re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019, at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. The re-designation, initiated by Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, aligns Grand Forks AFB’s host wing and the 69th Reconnaissance Group. The 69 RG, which flies the high-altitude, remotely-piloted RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, has been aligned under the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., since it initiated operations as a tenant at Grand Forks AFB in 2011. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Reeves Jr.)
                
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        Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force, met with Airmen after announcing the 319th Air Base Wing’s re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Elijiah Tiggs)190511-F-LG031-0001
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, met with Airmen after announcing the 319th Air Base Wing’s re-designation to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing May 11, 2019, at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2019, the effective date of re-designation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Elijiah Tiggs)
                
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Secretary of the Air Force announces Grand Forks AFB re-designationPublished May 13, 2019
                    
                    By Senior Airman Elijaih Tiggs
                    
                    
                    319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
            **GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFNS) --**Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced the re-designation of the 319th Air Base Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, as the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, May 11.
The re-designation, initiated by Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, aligns Grand Forks AFB’s host wing and the 69th Reconnaissance Group. The 69th RG, which flies the high-altitude, remotely-piloted RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, has been aligned under the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, California, since it initiated operations as a tenant at Grand Forks AFB in 2011.
Although there won’t be any changes to aircraft or operations at Beale AFB, changes at Grand Forks AFB are expected to begin this summer.
Wilson stated, “You know some people talk about these as being autonomous, or talk about them as drones, but they are not. It is our Airmen, always on watch with their ingenuity, pushing the limits for our joint warfighters around the world.”
When the 69th RG mission and personnel align under the 319th RW, the unit will be activated as the 319th Operations Group and the 69th Reconnaissance Group will inactivate. The 319th OG will continue to execute the Global Hawk’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission in support of worldwide, full-spectrum operations.
The official re-designation ceremony is scheduled for June 28, in conjunction with the Grand Forks AFB change of command between Col. Benjamin Spencer and Col. Cameron Pringle.FS 



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