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15th MDG under new management

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs office
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  There's a new sheriff in town at the 15th Medical Group.

Colonel Christopher Paige assumed command of the 15th MDG from Col. Virginia A. Garner during a change of command ceremony July 14 at the Missing Man Formation here.

During the ceremony, Garner was presented the Legion of Merit for her outstanding service and accomplishments as commander of the 15th MDG. Garner expressed her gratitude to leadership, members of the local community, and the Airmen of the 15th MDG for their dedication and service throughout her command.

"To the men and women of the 15th MDG ... I'd love to call each of you out by name because every one of you has touched the lives of so many, either directly or indirectly, through your support," she said. "I could not be more proud and more humble than to have been working for you. It has truly been an honor and privilege. Keep taking good care of each and our nation's most precious resources--it's people. You have a pretty amazing new leader taking over. Chris Paige comes with a wealth of experience and leadership credentials that I'm sure will propel this group to even higher levels of success."

Garner also expressed her appreciation for the great working relationships and medical partnerships forged during her time as commander.

"I really feel like the spirit of cooperation and collaboration has set the standard for the future of healthcare in the Department of Defense," she said. "It has been awesome working side-by-side with each of you in caring for our nation's heroes and their families."

As her last act as 15th MDG commander, Garner advised Paige to "take care of the Airmen, and they will take care of you."

Paige comes to the 15th MDG from Maxwell Air Force Base, where he was a student at the Air War College.

As the new MDG Commander, Paige will lead nearly 243 personnel and three squadrons, overseeing a 35 million dollar infrastructure, operations and maintenance budget. Col. Paige is responsible for providing medical and dental services for 14,800 beneficiaries and ensuring quality healthcare service for 90,000 outpatient visits, 22,000 dental visits, and over 125,000 pharmaceutical distributions annually.

After thanking Garner and the 15th Wing leadership and members of the local community for the "warm reception," Paige turned his attention to his "superstar Airmen."

"I am in awe of this community, of this group and of this wing," Paige said just after taking command. "Without a healthy community this mission cannot be accomplished. I look forward to working with my all-star team to give this community world class health care. I am honored to be here and honored to take command of this outstanding organization. We look forward to meeting you and your families."