SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 932nd Airlift Wing recently celebrated the graduation of the 2025 class of Honorary Commanders at the 932nd AW Auditorium on January 9, 2026.
The graduating class consisted of six civic leaders from across the St. Louis metropolitan region who embodied business, government, and education specialties and represented the cities of O’Fallon, Collinsville, Belleville, and St. Louis.
The goal of the honorary commander program is to create lasting partnerships while familiarizing these community leaders with the base and its mission.
Herb Roach, City of O’Fallon, 932nd AW Honorary Commander, was honored for his two-year distinguished term as a passionate advocate of the Wing, heightening the awareness of 932nd Citizen Airmen in the Metro East community.
Roach served as City of O’Fallon Mayor during his honorary commander tenure until 2025.
Following graduation, Roach and the remaining five honorary commanders became members of the honorary commander alumni emeritus program. This alumni distinction honors former honorary commanders and allows them to continue serving the 932nd AW as a civic leader. They continue to serve in their communities as ambassadors for the Gateway Wing and speak, share and relay information on an educated level from the base to the communities.
“This graduation might feel like the end of a journey, but it is not a retirement. Think of it as the start of a new chapter and next assignment as alumni emeritus to our Wing,” said Col. Jeffrey Smith, 932nd AW commander. “Being a graduated honorary commander is no different from myself our any other commander that leaves command in the Air Force. Once your tenure has been completed, you take the knowledge that you have learned from command, and you go on to the next assignment to make the enterprise better.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Roach also conveyed he was honored to serve as the 932nd AW honorary commander for the past two years and it was memorable meeting the Gateway Wing Citizen Airmen and learning how they are an important role to our nation.
Over the course of two years, the six honorary commanders attended a unit training assembly commander’s call and were immersed in the Wing to include Operations, Maintenance, Mission Support, and the Medical Group.
They attended the Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve Employers (ESGR) Employers Day, and embedded with over 30 community leaders and civilian employers of Reserve members and witnessed the crucial work performed by the 932nd AW and how their employer support empowers our Citizen Airmen to succeed both on the job and in their military duties.
Honorary commanders also participated in tours hosted by the active duty, 375th Air Mobility Wing and mission partners.
These opportunities enabled an up-close and personal experience with our mission, policies, programs, and how it all fits into the overall mission capability of the Air Force Reserve and the United States Air Force.
“Honorary commanders are part of the 932nd family,” said Col. Jeffrey Smith, 932nd Airlift Wing Commander. He continued, “We live, we work, we go to school, are seen by medical professionals, we go to church…all in the same community. It provided us with different perspectives by leveraging collaboration between our military and civilian communities to help strengthen our Citizen Airman team.”
Congratulations Graduating Honorary Commanders, Class of 2025:
- Herb Roach, City of O’Fallon, 932nd Airlift Wing Honorary Commander
- Linette Warnecke, Retired Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending, Central Bank, 932nd Operations Group Honorary Commander
- Lenny Singh, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ameren Corporation and Chairman and President of Ameren Services, 932nd Mission Support Group Honorary Commander
- Steve Mackin, Mercy President and Chief Executive Officer, 932nd Medical Group Honorary Commander
- Kellen Kettwich, Principal, Scott Elementary School, 932nd Maintenance Group Honorary Commander
- Joe Lamie, Journalism Consultant, 932nd Airlift Wing Aerospace Medicine Squadron Honorary Commander