A Duluth native will be the next commander of the 148th Fight-er Wing.
Col. Frank Stokes will take command from Col. Mark Johnson at a change of command ceremony in March. Johnson, who has commanded the 148th since June 2004, will transfer to Minnesota's Joint Force Headquarters in St. Paul.
Stokes joined the Air Force in 1983 and joined the 148th in 1991. He has served in various positions at the fighter wing, including air operations officer, 179th Fighter Squadron commander, maintenance group commander, and most recently, wing vice commander.
Additionally, Stokes served as the 455th Expeditionary Mainten-ance Group commander at Bagram Airfield, Afghan-istan, from January to May 2007. He earned the Bronze Star.
He is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours -- 1,260 as an instructor pilot in F-15s and F-16s.
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The 148th Fighter Wing has 1,065 members, of which 450 are full time.
