‘Lead them well’: 345th Bomb Squadron honors change of command

Under a crisp, sunny fall sky, Airmen, families and friends of the 345th Bomb Squadron gathered in an open hangar bay at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 18, 2026, a B-1B Lancer standing behind them, to mark a milestone in the squadron's history.

Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez relinquished command of the 345th, the Air Force Reserve's only B-1B bomb squadron, to Lt. Col. Joe Biles during a ceremony recognizing the transfer of command, which officially took place Aug. 1, 2026. Col. Andrew Marshall, 489th Bomb Group commander, presided.

"Command is never a routine milestone or a mere bullet on an officer's record," Marshall said. "Command is a sacred covenant. It is a solemn promise made to our nation that our Airmen will be trained, equipped and led with uncompromising standards, and it is a promise made to our Airmen that their lives, their families and their readiness will never be taken for granted."

A command defined by firsts

Alvarez led the squadron from September 2023 to July 2026, a stretch Marshall described as a time when the security environment became more complex, more contested and more volatile.

Under his command, the squadron, known as the "Crooks," flew the first Bomber Task Force deployment to Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore, and led a deployment to Ørland Air Station, Norway, where its Airmen trained alongside NATO allies. Working closely with the active duty 9th Bomb Squadron, the 345th brought Reserve and Regular Air Force Airmen together as a single team and supported dozens of joint and coalition exercises, earning the Gen. Mark A. Welsh III One Air Force Award for Total Force excellence.

Marshall also credited Alvarez with driving a significant increase in combat mission ready aircrew, guiding a multimillion-dollar facility renovation and steadying the squadron through a government shutdown, when he kept Airmen and families informed and connected them with welfare resources. Alvarez received the Meritorious Service Medal during the ceremony.

He led from the cockpit, too. Alvarez has logged more than 5,000 hours in the B-1, a milestone Marshall said "this community may never see again."

"You took an incredible squadron and made it exceptional," Marshall told him. "You delivered on a no-fail strategic mission. You took care of the families, and you set a standard of Total Force excellence that will endure long after today."

‘The true power of the mighty B-1’

In his farewell remarks, Alvarez turned the focus to the people.

"When people think of the B-1, they think of its roar on the runway, the shape of its wings and the combat power it projects around the world," he said. "But we all know the aircraft is just metal and wires. The true power of the mighty B-1 is the people who fly it, who fix it and who support it."

He described the 345th's unique mission as a Reserve classic associate squadron, pairing the operational capability of the active duty with the expertise and commitment of traditional Reservists, Air Reserve Technicians and Active Guard and Reserve Airmen. He thanked the active duty 7th Bomb Wing for a partnership he called "total force integration at its best, built on trust, shared purpose and commitment to the mission."

"When I look back on this command, I won't look back at sorties flown, missions executed or operations supported," he said. "I'll remember you all. Most of all, I remember how you took care of one another."

He left the squadron with a charge: "Take care of each other. Take care of your families. Continue to demand excellence of yourselves and one another. And when the next call comes, because it will, be ready."

A new chapter

Biles, a native of Mineral Wells, Texas, commissioned through Air Force ROTC at Texas Tech University in 2006 and has served more than a decade on active duty and nearly another in the Air Force Reserve. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and a master combat systems officer with more than 2,800 flying hours, he has flown combat sorties in the B-1, B-52 and E-3.

He is also the first traditional Reservist to command the 345th. In his civilian career, he works as a defense contractor on the B-1 weapon system trainer, serves as an Episcopal minister and teaches government as an adjunct professor at Abilene Christian University.

"You know the B-1, you know the strike mission and you know what it takes to lead combat aviators," Marshall told him. "You are ready for this command, and you have my full trust."

Alvarez offered his successor simple advice: "You're inheriting an outstanding team with a proud legacy and a strong foundation. Lead them well, look after them and they will take care of the rest."

In his first remarks as commander, Biles reflected on the phrase "Reserve Citizen Airmen," admitting that when he first heard it, he thought it sounded like marketing. He has since come to see citizenship as "no small endeavor," an office every American holds, carrying responsibilities as well as rights. It is a fitting idea, he noted, in the nation's 250th year of independence.

"Being a subject has its drawbacks, but being a citizen is harder," he said.

Tracing the squadron's lineage from the low-level bombing raids of Operation Tidal Wave in 1943 to today, Biles said the 345th and its active duty partners remain committed to ensuring "distance will never offer sanctuary or impunity for those who wish harm to us or to the free world."

"None of you were drafted," he told the formation. "Every one of you in the Total Force is a volunteer. Every one of you is a citizen Airman. That's inspiring, and you inspire me."

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