Sioux City. Iowa -- Members of the media are invited to attend a formal promotion ceremony for Col. Larry Christensen. Christensen will be promoted to the rank of brigadier general during the unit’s December training weekend.
The promotion ceremony is planned to take place at 2:30 p.m. in the main hangar at the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City on Dec. 8, 2019.
Christensen is one of a small number of 185th ARW alumni to achieve the rank of general as a member of the Iowa Air National Guard. Earlier this year, Christensen was selected for his new position as the Chief of Staff of the Iowa Air National Guard.
In this position, Christensen will be responsible for the readiness and well-being of nearly 2000 Airmen that are a part of two units that make up the Iowa Air National Guard. These units are located at the Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, airports with a geographically separated unit in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Christensen will be serving as a traditional member of the Iowa Air National Guard at the state’s Joint Forces Headquarters located at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa.
Christensen is a Sioux City, Iowa, native and is a 1987 Iowa State University graduate who was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the 185th ARW where he began his military career as a fighter pilot. Christensen has flown the U.S. Air Force A-7 Corsair, the F-16 Falcon and the KC-135 Stratotanker.
During his time with the 185th ARW, Christensen has served as current operations officer, safety officer, maintenance group commander, operations group commander and most recently as the unit’s wing commander.
For questions concerning the activities of the Air National Guard’s 185th ARW, please contact Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot (712) 233-0732 (office), (712) 266-5699 (cell), or by e-mail at vincent.w.degroot.mil@mail.mil ; also see our website: http://www.185arw.ang.af.mil/
-END-