Gen. Tommy F. Tilman Jr. (left holding flag) formally changes command at the 186th Air Refueling Wing to Col. Robert K. Brady (right holding flag) during a ceremony Saturday at Key Field Air National Guard Base in Meridian. Brady is assuming command from Col. Cynthia L. Smith (far right), who will now serve at Joint Force Headquarters in Jackson as the Chief of Staff of the Mississippi Air National Guard. A formal change of command ceremony occurred Saturday morning at Key Field Air National Guard Base in Meridian as the 186th Air Refueling Wing welcomed its new commander Col. Robert K. Brady, who assumed command from Col. Cynthia L. Smith, who formally relinquished command during the ceremony. Smith has been the commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing since Aug. 7, 2021, and relinquished command to assume a new post at Joint Force Headquarters in Jackson to serve as the Chief of Staff of the Mississippi Air National Guard. He described the work of the 186th Air Refueling Wing as the heartbeat of the U.S. Air Force’s global operations.