349th Operation Group commander announced as new leader of McChord Reserve wing Published July 18, 2014 By Jake Chappelle 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 446th Airlift Wing here will have a new face in the near future. Air Force Reserve Command officials named Col. Scott McLaughlin as the incoming 446th AW commander, July 18. He will replace Col. Bruce Bowers, who is set to retire Aug. 11. "I'm honored to have been selected as the next commander of the 446th Airlift Wing," McLaughlin said. "The 446th has an impressive history of air mobility excellence, and I look forward to working for such a dynamic and committed team." Since April 2013, McLaughlin served as the 349th Operations Group commander out of Travis Air Force Base, California, AFRC's largest operations group composed of four flying squadrons. He entered the active-duty Air Force in 1986 through Officer Training School after a brief period working for the Department of Justice. He joined the Air Force Reserve in December 2000 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. McLaughlin isn't new to the Pacific Northwest. In 1983, he earned his bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, and a Masters of Business Administration from City University in Bellevue, Washington in 1997. A command pilot with nearly 6,000 hours, he's certified on T-37, T-38, B-52H, C-5 Galaxy, and the Falcon 50EX, and has flown combat support missions dating back to Operation Desert Storm. McLaughlin will be responsible for the organization, training, equipage, and worldwide readiness of a combined Reserve and civilian wing of nearly 2,200 people. The 446th AW flies and supports the C-17 Globemaster III weapons system, and the reservists are capable of deploying anywhere in the world. Bowers, who took command in June 2011, is headed home the Carolinas in August. "It's the people I'll miss most," he said.