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AFDW welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Capt. Renee Lee
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland --  Maj. Gen. Darryl W. Burke officially took command of the Air Force District of Washington during a change of command ceremony here July 22.

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer passed the AFDW guidon to Burke, marking the departure of Maj. Gen. Sharon K.G. Dunbar as the outgoing AFDW commander.

"It's a great day to be an Airman," Burke said in his first address to AFDW Airmen. "I'm convinced that those who serve in our military are the best men and women our country has to offer - ordinary people who do extraordinary things every day."

Spencer, who hosted the ceremony, expressed confidence in Burke's new role.

"Your leadership skills are superb and I have no doubt that you will lead this sharp group of professionals to even greater heights," he said.

As the AFDW commander, Burke leads 5,700 Airmen responsible for a three-part mission of contingency response, ceremonial honors and operational support across the National Capital Region and worldwide.

"Teamwork, pride, success ... that's what the men and women of the Air Force District of Washington do," Burke said. "As your new commander, I'm grateful to work with the men and women to conduct our nation's toughest business. My goal is simple: we must meet the challenge of executing Air Force operations, supporting the joint force and interagency in the operations here in the NCR. I'll continue to work with you to ensure that we continue to provide exceptional civil and operational support, contingency response and ceremonial honors to the nation's capital and around the world."

Dunbar, who took command of AFDW in July 2012, is retiring from the Air Force after serving for 32 years.

Burke joins AFDW after a decorated Air Force career serving in a variety of positions as a navigator and commander. His commands include an operations support squadron, a reconnaissance wing, a flying squadron, an air expeditionary wing, and a training wing. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington.