COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The official Change of Command ceremony for the 14th Flying Training Wing took place on 8 July 2026, between outgoing commander Col. James J. Blech and incoming commander Col. Joshua D. Jensen from the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
The presiding officer for the ceremony was Brigadier General Travolis A. Simmons, 19th Air Force commander. In his opening remarks he emphasized the importance of the 14th Flying Training Wing mission. “Although the mission here has evolved over time, the importance of this wing has never wavered. The 14th Flying Training Wing continues to be the backbone of undergraduate pilot training for the United States Air Force.”
Simmons reaffirmed the strategic value of Columbus and its role in future contested environments. “In this era of renewed strategic competition, contested environments will require combat pilots who are skilled, agile, and resilient.”
In his closing remarks he spoke directly to Col. Jensen. "Without a doubt, you are taking command of one of the finest wings in the United States Air Force. During your tenure, the Air Force will require you to do difficult things. We are counting on your leadership to continue evolving our pilot training enterprise by operationalizing the T-7. This is a big responsibility….but I am more than confident you are ready to meet the task.”
Col. Blech highlighted the continuation of the pilot training mission after command.
“Command has a beginning and an end. Tomorrow morning, when most of us have finished our first cup of coffee, another class of students will brief their sortie, an instructor pilot will challenge a young lieutenant to become just a little bit better. A maintainer will launch an aircraft, a controller will clear a student for takeoff, and a Defender will stand watch.”
Blech commanded a 3,400-person enterprise and orchestrated the Air Force’s largest pilot training reform in decades, overseeing a 2.3-billion-dollar aircraft fleet to train over 730 combat-ready pilots. He resolved a systemic maintenance crisis by rescuing a 390-million-dollar contract, sparking a 375-percent readiness surge that averted a critical T-1 pilot shortage, boosted graduate output by 366 percent, and propelled the wing to excel in its inaugural combat readiness inspection.
Colonel Blech pioneered the “Training Dorm of the Future,” a revolutionary learning ecosystem benchmarked as an Air Education and Training Command best practice for twenty-first-century Airman development. In addition, he guided the acquisition of 3.5 million dollars in cutting-edge cognitive training tools and forged groundbreaking human performance partnerships with collegiate athletic programs, redefining how the Air Force develops its aviators.
In his efforts to take care of Airmen and their families he established Mississippi’s first active-duty STARBASE program and directed a 6.5-million-dollar Base Exchange revitalization, while leading two airshows that earned the prestigious Gold Pinnacle Award for Innovation from the International Council of Air Shows.
In his closing remarks Blech shared a memory of his late mother. “My mother taught me that loving your country means participating in its future. Looking across Team BLAZE at the families in this community, I can think of no better example of that idea. Thank you for allowing Stephanie, Cora, Audrey, and I to participate with and alongside you. It truly has been the honor of my life. Thank you.”