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SCOTIA, N.Y. -- The New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing welcomes a new man-in-command Saturday as Colonel Shawn Clouthier officially takes over as commander of the airlift wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia.

Clouthier previously served as the Operations Group Commander of the 109th. He will now oversee all daily operations there, including maintenance and medical groups, all totaling about 1,200 full and part time personnel.

Also under his watch: the ski-equipped C-130 aircraft, the only fleet in the Air Force.

For the Coxsackie resident, the opportunity is as big as it gets.

“It's a huge honor and very humbling for me,” Col. Clouthier said. “I've been in the unit for 30 years, and to reach this point after coming up through the ranks and taking command of a well-known organization like this one is beyond my wildest dreams."

Clouthier's predecessor, Colonel Timothy LaBarge, took the commander post at the 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh.