706th Fighter Squadron holds change of command

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jessica Martin
  • 926th Group public affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  The 706th Fighter Squadron, an associate unit to the United States Air Force Warfare Center, held a change of command here Oct. 4.

Lt. Col. Dean Caldwell relinquished command to Lt. Col. Jeffrey Cannon during a ceremony at the Viper Aircraft Maintenance Unit hangar.

"I am proud of this place," said Cannon. "I am proud of the job it does for our Air Force and our sister services. I know that the work done here has and will continue to save American lives in combat. This is the part of the Air Force we signed up for."

As commander, Cannon oversees reservists integrated into 57th Wing, 53rd Wing and 505th Command and Control Wing missions. Additionally, he manages pilots flying A-10, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, F-22, F-35 and HH-60G aircraft.

Cannon earned his commission and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Air Force Academy in 1996. He has more than 2,300 flying hours, including 50 combat hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Cannon joined the Reserve in 2009. Previous to taking command of the 706th FS he served as the U.S. Air Force Weapons School deputy commandant for operations here.

"The 706th has a long legacy of superior performance," said Col. John Breeden, 926th Group commander. "It has made a name for itself across all of the flying platforms here, and its people continually receive accolades at the command level."

"Having led operations at the Weapons School, Lieutenant Colonel Cannon brings a breadth of experience to the 706th, said Breeden. "Now as a squadron commander, I'm confident he'll succeed in my charge of caring for and feeding his people."

Through TFI, the 926th GP and its squadrons augment the USAFWC with additional manpower to complete the mission. Reservists are integrated into Regular Air Force units, working alongside their RegAF counterparts on a daily basis.

The 706th was originally a bombardment squadron, active in World War II. It was re-designated a fighter squadron in 1978, and activated at Nellis in 2006.

Caldwell, who served as the 706th FS commander since June 2011, is now the deputy commander for the 57th Adversary Tactics Group here.