Col. Scott Hurrelbrink takes command of the 919th SOW at Duke Field

DUKE FIELD — The only special operations wing in the U.S. Air Force Reserves welcomed a new commander on Saturday, July 13.

According to a news release, Duke Field officials held a change of command ceremony where Col. Scott Hurrelbrink took command of the 919th Special Operations Wing (SOW) by order of Maj. Gen. Regina Sabric, commander of the 10th Air Force. Hurrelbrink replaces Col. Jason Grandy, who has commanded the wing since 2021.

“I am humbled and proud to be part of this wing,” Hurrelbrink was quoted as saying in the release. “The 919th is not just any wing. It is the Air Force Reserve’s hardest-working, most successful and highly decorated group of warriors. I’ll give everything I have to lead with integrity, uphold the proud history of the 919th, and further build the next generation of combat wings.”

Hurrelbrink received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps Program in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1994 and went on to complete Undergraduate Navigator Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Hurrelbrink then completed undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, according to the release.

According to his biography, Hurrelbrink has accumulated over 2,700 flight hours in various aircraft such as the B-52, A-10 and F-117. His previous assignment was as the deputy director of operations for Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.

“To the men and women of the 919th, I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work with you,” Hurrelbrink was quoted as saying in the release. “I assure you I will uphold the tradition and culture of the Citizen Air Commandos. In return, I ask that you be loyal to the mission and take care of each other. Lead with respect, empathy and support. If we do these things, nothing or no one will stop us.'

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Hurrelbrink will lead 1,600 citizen air commandos who train and deploy to locations around the globe. The mission of the 919th is to provide support to the "any time, any place" mission statement that the Air Force Special Operations Command lives by.

According to the release, the 919th is the only Air Force Reserve special operations wing, and it has a storied combat history since its creation at Duke Field in July 1971.

Grandy will now serve in the current operations division at Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon.