SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AP) -- Maj. Gen. William Holland is handing over command of the Ninth Air Force to Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog in a ceremony at South Carolina's Shaw Air Force Base.
Hoog takes over Tuesday at the installation outside Sumter. He has served as deputy commander for the U.S. Air Forces Central Command, which is in charge of Air Force operations through the Mideast to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Air Force officials say the Ninth Air Force is responsible for its fighting units along the U.S. East Coast. It is also in charge of seven flying wings as well as 14 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.
Hoog is an F-16 pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours. Holland has been at Shaw since 2007 and is set to retire at the end of this year.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH