MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Col. Jason M. Trew took command of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies from Col. Jeffrey Donnithorne during a change of command ceremony, June 24, 2020, on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Maj. Gen. William Holt, commander of Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and vice commander of Air University presided over the ceremony.
“This program graduates what are the Air Force and Space Force premier graduates,” said Holt. “Colonel Donnithorne, your command was an absolute home run … and he and his team did it all under two years of COVID. He safely made the right decisions and got the students through.”
Holt wished Donnithorne and his family luck in retirement after 25 years of service and said that while Trew has big shoes to fill, he’s the perfect person for the job.
“We're standing on the shoulders of giants,” said Donnithorne. “I inherited a gem, and all I did was try to preserve that gem. I thank those who came before for giving me, and now [Col. Trew], an opportunity to lead and guide the students here. ‘Toga,’ I'm excited for you, you're absolutely the right guy to take us forward.”
Trew transitioned from his position as the vice commandant of Squadron Officer School, where he led effectively for two years. Trew is looking forward to taking command of SAASS after returning from a deployment earlier in the month.
“The long flight back from a deployment provides time to reflect on the experience as well as time to think about how you'll apply what you've learned to whatever is coming next,” he said. “For me while deployed, the chance to see SAASS graduates in action and to talk to senior leaders about what they expect from our alumni were both very insightful.“
SAASS is a selective one-year graduate school with 17 terminally credentialed faculty members and 45 Air Force, Space Force, Department of Defense and international students. The mission of SAASS is to educate strategists for the Air Force, Space Force and nation.
“I'm thrilled to work with students who have already demonstrated their passion for learning and are hungry for more; motivated to stretch themselves even further,” said Trew. “Our faculty and staff are world-class, and I'm excited to learn more about the art of teaching strategy from them.”