Iowa Air National Guard Col. Sonya Morrison will be installed as the 185th Air Refueling Wing Commander at a formal Change of Command Ceremony during the unit’s August training weekend. Media are invited to the Change of Command ceremony on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. in the fuel cell hangar at the Sioux City, Iowa Air National Guard facility.
The change of command is historically significant for the 185th as Morrison will be the unit’s first female commander. At the ceremony Morrison will officially take over as the Wing Commander from Col. Mark Muckey.
Morrison has been a member of the Iowa National Guard since joining as a teenager. She has served in both the Iowa Army and Air National Guard. The Osceola, Iowa native originally enlisted in the Army National Guard as a member of the 34th Army Band in Fairfield before receiving her commission.
After receiving a commission through the Army ROTC program at the University of Northern Iowa, Morrison initially trained as an Army helicopter pilot. Upon earning her wings she was assigned to the 1-113th Air Cavalry in Waterloo, IA.
Morrison moved to the Air Guard in 2005 and was assigned to the 185th ARW as a KC-135 pilot until 2013. During her time with Air Guard she was also assigned to the 132d Wing in Des Moines where she helped with the Wing’s conversion from the F-16 fighter to their current MQ-9 Reaper mission.
Morrison has served her entire career with the Iowa National Guard where she has previously worked as the State Director of Staff at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Since returning to the 185th ARW in 2020, Morrison has served as the Mission Support Group Commander and as the unit’s Vice Wing Commander.