New commander takes over Hill's 388th Fighter Wing

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Being a U.S. military fighter pilot requires intelligence, the ability to react quickly in life and death situations, along with the ability to remain calm and focus on the mission at hand — often under duress.

Those qualities can also come in handy when leading an elite military aviation unit tasked with protecting the country's interests against hostile enemies.

At a fit-looking 6 feet 4 inches tall, Col. Lee Kloos strikes an impressive figure in his dress blue Air Force uniform. As a trained fighter pilot, he knows the pressures of combat and what it takes to be successful in the most stressful of circumstances. With that in mind, he assumed the helm of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base Friday with the specific mission of maintaining the preparedness necessary to defend America if ever called upon.

"Our mission is to be combat-ready, and when we're asked to, we are going to deploy these jets and employ them in combat," Kloos said. "It's an opportunity of a lifetime. We look forward to all the opportunities and ties to the community as well."

Kloos took over from Col. David Lyons, who relinquished control of the wing during a change of command ceremony at the base Friday. Lyons served as commander for two years. He is moving to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona to serve as the 12th Air Force vice commander.

Kloos is coming from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency where he served as Air Force operational liaison to the agency director since June 2015. As the principal Air Force operational adviser to the director, Kloos’ insights shaped advanced technology development efforts for the 1,200-member agency and impacted current and future strategic capabilities for the nation, said 388th Fighter Wing public affairs officer Donovan Potter.

As 388th commander, Kloos will be responsible for the readiness, training, morale and welfare of 1,800 personnel who maintain and operate 70 primary assigned F-16CM and F-35A aircraft across six squadrons, as well as the Utah Test and Training Range, Potter added.

The F-16 is transitioning out of the base and is being replaced by the F-35.

"My job is to get on the ground and see how well the wing is running and where I can make little adjustments here and there," Kloos said. "But every indication is that this wing is running at top speed, and I don't anticipate many changes."

A veteran pilot of both aircraft, he said his experience could aid in his ability to manage the unit.

"We still have the F-16s and they will remain here a little bit longer," he said. "I've been in the F-35 for several years, so those skills together put me in a unique position in this wing as we continue to transition from the F-16 and continue to explore the combat operations of the F-35."

Kloos said he flew the F-16 in weapons school earlier in his career, but he noted the F-35 has even greater versatility than its combat predecessor.

"The F-35 (has) all the new technology with it," he said. "You get the stealth (capability) with it. It's going to be able to the same job as the F-16, but it's going to be able to do it much easier. The F-35 will be a force enabler when it's out there."

As an unusally tall fighter pilot, Kloos joked that going from the cramped cockpit of the F-16 to the relatively spacious environment of the new F-35 was quite a welcome upgrade. However, the main improvement is the advanced technology of the enhanced F-35 fighter jet.

"It operates very similarly to the F-16 as far as handling and the flying characteristics, but really where the difference is what's under the hood," Kloos said. "With all the new systems and the new capabilities, that's where we really get the benefit of this new aircraft. That's why when it's out there clearing (combat) lanes and communicating with all the other (engaged) aircraft, that's where it makes the big difference."

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