New commander to take reins, 509th BW Change of Command

Published March 16, 2009
By Capt. Matthew Miller

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo -- Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak, 509th Bomb Wing commander, will relinquish his command March 26 and head to Washington D.C. to be the Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application, Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, at the Department of Energy.

Col. Robert E. Wheeler, now the commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La., will take command of the 509th BW in a 10 a.m. change of command ceremony at the 442nd Fighter Wing's Five-Bay Hangar.

Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., 8th Air Force commander, will officiate at the change-of-command ceremony, a time-honored tradition that symbolizes the continuity of authority as command is passed between an outgoing and incoming commander.

"Commanding the 509th Bomb Wing and Team Whiteman has been an awesome opportunity. Tanya and I will always consider our time here as a shining moment in our lives," said General Harencak

It will mark a return to Whiteman for Wheeler and his wife, Rachel. Prior to assuming command of the 2nd Bomb Wing in July 2007, Wheeler was commander of the 509th Operations Group at Whiteman.

General Harencak entered the Air Force in 1983 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His assignments include aircraft command of the B-52; instructor pilot and squadron command in the B-1B; a tour in weapon systems acquisition; and service as aide to the Commander of U.S. Central Command. He also directed the Headquarters U.S. Air Force Executive Secretariat. General Harencak commanded the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. Prior to Whiteman, he was Deputy Director of Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.

Before Barksdale, Colonel Wheeler served as division chief for the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding European security issues and was the senior military adviser to the U.S. Mission for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Austria. Wheeler also commanded the 325th Bomb Squadron, which opened the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

Recipient of the Air Force Ira C. Eaker and 8th Air Force Kalberer awards, he was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC in August 1983 with a bachelor of science in engineering/operations research through the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has master's degrees in aerospace technology and national security and strategic studies. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours in the T-37 and T-38 trainers and the B-52 and B-2 bombers.