New York Air National Guard Lt. Col Joshua Hamm, a 19-year Air Force veteran from Cazenovia, took command of the N174th Attack Wing’s Operations Support Squadron during a ceremony held at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Saturday, Jan. 8.
Hamm replaced Lt. Col. Keith A. Walker, who had led the 174th Operations Support Squadron since 2019.
Hamm, a full-time National Guard officer, transferred to the 174th Attack Wing from the Active Air Force in 2016. In 2017, he became an MQ-9 Instructor Pilot and Assistant Director of Operations for the 138th Attack Squadron. He then became an Evaluator Pilot for the 174th Operations Group until 2020, when he became the Director of Operations for the 138th Attack Squadron.
Hamm is a 2003 graduate of Bridgewater State University and received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Course at Boston University.
He is rated as a Master Navigator with more than 3,000 flight hours and is an MQ-9 pilot with more than 1,100 hours of flight time.
While in the Active Air Force, Hamm served as a B-52H radar navigator and B-52H radar navigator instructor, training to carry out both convention and nuclear attack missions.
His positions while in the Active Air Force include:
- Assistant Flight Commander, 23rd Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base;
- Flight Commander, 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base;
- Group Executive Officer, 5th Mission Support Group at Minot Air Force Base;
- Instructor Combat Systems Officer, Assistant Director of Operations, 451st Flying Training Squadron at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida;
- Virtual Flag Exercise Director, 705th Combat Training Squadron, Air Force Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
Hamm has flown missions in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq during his career.
His awards include:
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Aerial Achievement Medal
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Air Force Achievement Medal
- Meritorious Unit Award
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Afghanistan Campaign Medal