SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont –
The 19th wing commander for the 158th Fighter Wing was selected at the Vermont Air National Guard during the December drill weekend.
Col. David Shevchik will assume command of the 158th Fighter Wing following the retirement announcement of Col. David Smith, who dedicated 31 years of honorable service to the Vermont Air National Guard. A formal change of command ceremony will take place over the January drill weekend at the 158th Fighter Wing.
Shevchik, most recently the commander of the 158th Operations Group, is ready to assume command of the 158th Fighter Wing. He joined Active Duty in 1999 and transitioned to become a Green Mountain Boy in 2007.
“I am honored and proud to serve with and for the talented professionals of the 158th Fighter Wing as their new commander,” commented Shevchik. “And to have the opportunity to do that within a community and state that I’ve always called home makes it very special. We continue to undergo our historic transformation to a mission ready F-35 Fighter Wing, the first in the Air National Guard. I’m proud of the team and excited for our future.”
As a Vermont native, Shevchik grew up in Essex and attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, following his graduation from Rice Memorial High School in Burlington, Vermont. He commissioned into the United States Air Force and as a pilot flying the F-16 Fighting Falcons on Active Duty before transitioning to the Vermont Air National Guard in 2007. He has held various positions including Maintenance Squadron commander, Fighter Wing Inspector General and Operations Group commander. He has flown over 2000 hours in the F-16 and completed the F-35 Lightning II transition course at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in November.
The adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard announced Shevchik’s selection and shared a message with members of the organization.
“Colonel Shevchik brings a wealth of experience to the job, and is extremely well suited to complete the transition of the first Air National Guard F-35 Wing to operational status. We have a lot of work to do in the next couple of years, and it won't be easy,” said Brig. Gen. Knight, adjutant general, Vermont National Guard. “I have every expectation that our outstanding 158th Fighter Wing team will get it done, and support Colonel Shevchik in leading this amazing organization.”