Lieutenant Colonel Stephen G. Reny relinquished command of the United States Forward Operating Locations (USFOL) in Curaçao and Aruba to Lieutenant Colonel Michael C. Goodman today. The Change of Command is a time-honored military tradition which symbolizes the continuation of leadership and unit identity despite the change in individual authority. It also allows the squadron to personally witness the command authority passing from one officer to another. Passing the ceremonial flag from the old commander to the new commander physically represents this transfer.
Under the command of Lt. Col. Reny, surveillance flights from the USFOL achieved many successes in Caribbean counter-narcotics efforts. Flights from the USFOLs directly contributed to the seizure of 94 metric tons of narcotics with a street value of over 1.8 billion USD and 183 counter-drug arrests. In addition, during Commander Reny’s tenure, USFOL military and civilian personnel volunteered their services in support of dozens of community projects to benefit the people of Curacao by partnering with various local organizations. Commander Reny received a Meritorious Service Medal Third Oak Leaf Cluster for his accomplishments.
In his opening remarks, Commander Goodman stated “I am humbled to take command of such an outstanding unit and look forward to continuing its mission in supporting operations that disrupt transnational drug trafficking.”
Prior to taking command in Curaçao and Aruba, Lieutenant Colonel Goodman was the Assistant Director of Operations, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, 55th Electronic Combat Group, 55th Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. His previous assignments include Commander, 17th Comptroller Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas and various leadership positions in the 16th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida and the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. (full bio attached)
The USFOL, 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron, supports multinational aircraft operations that conduct detection, monitoring, and tracking missions that play an important role in counter-drug efforts in the region. USFOL Curaçao was established as a result of a multilateral agreement between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United States whereby aircraft and crews deploy to the USFOL on a temporary basis to conduct counter-drug operations.
