PORTLAND, Ore. -- PORTLAND, Ore. – On January 11, 2022, the 142nd Maintenance Squadron held an official assumption of command ceremony wherein Lt. Col. Mellissa Handzel, an incoming maintenance officer, stepped into the position of commander for the squadron.
Handzel most recently served as the commander of the 136th Maintenance Operations Flight at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, in Fort Worth, Texas, and has 20 years of experience in aircraft maintenance.
During the ceremony, the presiding officer, 142nd Maintenance Group interim commander, Lt. Col. David Christensen, emphasized the potential impact of Handzel’s expertise on the sqaudron.
“For the whole [maintenance] group, [Handzel’s] experience is going to be huge helping us move forward,” said Christensen.
The ceremony involved the passing of the squadron guidon from the presiding officer to the incoming commander, symbolizing the passing of command from one officer to the next.
After accepting the squadron guidon, Handzel took a moment to convey her motivations for stepping into the role of commander as well as her vision for the future of the squadron.
“I’m at a point in my life where I’m just ready to…be in a position where I can impact change, not just professionally, but in people’s lives,” said Handzel. “And I’m here because I love maintenance. It’s in my blood.”