Air National Guard’s 178th Wing gets 1st female commander

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The 178th Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard has its first female commander.

Col. Kimberly Fitzgerald assumed the 178th Wing’s command from Col. Gregg Hesterman during a ceremony Sunday at the Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield.

Fitzgerald previously served as the 178th Wing’s vice commander. She has 26 years of service including more than 4,000 flight hours as a KC-135 navigator, a KC-135 pilot, MQ-1 Predator pilot, and MQ-9 Reaper pilot. She transferred to the 178th Wing in 2011 and served in other positions before becoming vice commander.

Fitzgerald said in a statement Sunday that she's "excited that all the women that are in this wing can see that they have a path."

Hesterman will serve as the director of staff at the Ohio National Guard.

RELATED

Maryland National Guard first state with all-female command

For the first time, a state's National Guard command staff is entirely female. The Maryland National Guard's four top leaders are all women, and three are African American.

In Other News

VA to resume new electronic health record rollout in mid-2026

The project was scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. Nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.

Suicides among veterans remain unchanged despite federal focus

The figures are the latest available from federal census data and suggest limited progress on the issue of suicide prevention by Veterans Affairs leaders.

Looming government shutdown could hurt military families, veterans

Plans to avert a partial government shutdown starting this weekend appeared scuttled after President-elect Donald Trump opposed the bipartisan deal.

Live in the Tricare West Region? Do this before Dec. 31.

Beneficiaries in the West Region who don't provide recurring payment information could risk losing Tricare coverage.

Senate finalizes plans for a massive junior enlisted pay boost in 2025

Troops ranked E-4 and below would see a 14.5% raise and all other troops a 4.5% raise under legislation headed to the White House.

Load More