142nd Wing Welcomes New Commander (Photo) -12/06/24
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, located at the Portland Air National Guard Base in Portland, Oregon, welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony here, December 6th, at 1:42 p.m.
Col. David J. Christensen replaced Col. Michael B. Kosderka as the Wing Commander, overseeing nearly 1,400 personnel in executing their F-15 Eagle Aerospace Control Alert mission in defense of the Pacific Northwest, worldwide deployments supporting national objectives, and local state missions as directed by the governor.
At the ceremony, Christensen addressed the members of the 142nd Wing for the first time as their commander.
“I promise I will support you and challenge you to excel. I want you to prove everyday just how capable the 142nd is, and to prove that the foundation of that capability is in every single one of us working together in the defense of this nation, this state, and every citizen who is chasing the dream of a free people.”
Counting his time at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), Christensen has served in uniform for more than 29 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the USAFA in 1999. He then attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and received his initial F-15 training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida in 2002. His next assignment was to the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He returned to Tyndall Air Force Base as an Instructor Pilot in 2005, until moving back to Eglin Air Force Base to serve in the 53rd Wing as an Operational Test and Evaluation Pilot. In 2009, Christensen left Active Duty and joined the Oregon Air National Guard as an Instructor Pilot with the 142nd Fighter Wing, currently known as the 142nd Wing. Prior to becoming to the Commander of the 142nd Wing, Christensen served as the Commander of the 142nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
Preceding Christensen, Kosderka served as the 142nd Wing Commander from December 2023 to December 2024. During his tenure, the wing saw the arrival and public unveiling of the first F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The arrival of these aircraft inaugurated the Wing’s gradual transition from its legacy F-15C and D model fleet and marked the beginning of the complex “beddown” process and the development of new infrastructure needed to accommodate the more advanced aircraft.
Kosderka, who had his retirement ceremony today, spent all 25 years of his career in the Oregon Air National Guard. His other assignments include Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Kingsley Field, Oregon, and Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. He has been deployed in support of contingency operations throughout the world including Operation Noble Eagle. Col. Kosderka received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Science in 1998 from Linfield College, Oregon and a Master’s in Business Administration from Willamette University, Oregon in 2014.
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Broll and a soundbite from the ceremony can be found at this link: DVIDS - Video - 2024 142nd Wing Change of Command broll and soundbite
Photo caption:
Col. David J. Christensen (center) accepts the 142nd Wing guidon from Assistant Adjutant General- Air, Brig. Gen. David N. Unruh (left), as he takes command of the wing during an official change of command ceremony held on December 6, 2024 at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. Former 142nd Wing Commander, Col. Michael B. Kosderka (right) relinquished command during the ceremony and is set to retire in January of 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer)
About the 142nd Wing:
The Portland Air National Guard Base employs 1,400 Airmen who provide an economic impact of nearly $500 million to the region. The 142nd Wing defends our homeland with F-15 Eagle fighter jets, guarding the Pacific Northwest skies from northern California to the Canadian border through their Aerospace Control Alert mission as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Their mission is to provide unequalled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place in service to our nation, state and community.
