Col. Leslie Hauck, the outgoing commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing, addresses local officials during the change of command ceremony at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Hauck received a certificate of recognition for his help during a disastrous flood in 2021. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Air Force Col. Leslie Hauck didn’t get much sleep on the eve of assuming command of the 52nd Fighter Wing two years ago.
But that was because of nature, not nerves. Rain began falling before bedtime July 14, 2021, and didn’t let up for three days.
The historic flooding in western Germany, Belgium and neighboring countries displaced dozens of Air Force families stationed at Spangdahlem and killed more than 220 people across Europe.
The night before his change-of-command ceremony, Hauck jumped into the fray and joined local efforts to stem the damage.
On Friday, Hauck handed off the role of commanding the 5,000-some military and civilian personnel assigned to the F-16 wing known as “Saber Nation.”
And an official from the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz, which is home to the base, recalled how Hauck’s tenure began.
From left, Maj. Gen. Derek France, the Third Air Force commander; Col. Leslie Hauck, the outgoing commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing; and Col. Kevin Crofton, the incoming commander, salute during the playing of the national anthem June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. France marked the formal transfer of leadership responsibilities from Hauck to Crofton. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Airmen of the 52nd Fighter Wing stand in formation during the change of command ceremony June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Gen. Derek France, the Third Air Force commander, addresses the audience at a change of command ceremony June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. As the commander of Third Air Force, France is responsible for ensuring the readiness and operational capabilities of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Leslie Hauck, outgoing commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing, right, salutes Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, after receiving the Legion of Merit award during a change of command ceremony June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The award recognizes Hauck's leadership during his tenure. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
A member of the 52nd Fighter Wing's honor guard marches during the presentation the colors at a change of command ceremony June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Col. Leslie Hauck relinquished command to Col. Kevin Crofton. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Kevin Crofton, incoming commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing, center, accepts the guidon flag from Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, symbolizing the official transfer of command June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Kevin Crofton addresses the airmen of the 52nd Fighter Wing on June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Kevin Crofton gives his first salute as commander to the airmen of the 52nd Fighter Wing on June 2, 2023, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
Col. Kevin Crofton, center, smiles to his family after taking command of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on June 2, 2023. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
“Instead of preparing for your special day, you were filling sandbags until well after midnight,” said Michael Ebling, the state’s interior minister. “Literally from Day 1, you have been the commander who leads by example.”
Ebling presented Hauck with an award for the wing’s contributions during the floods.
Hauck worked with more than 200 volunteers from the air base “to support your German neighbors in a time of need,” Ebling said during the wing’s change-of-command ceremony. “I cannot think of a greater gesture of German-American friendship.”
The floods were just the beginning of what was a remarkably busy two years for Hauck and his command team.
Among other notable tasks, the wing provided support to Ramstein Air Base when 36,000 refugees from Afghanistan transited through Kaiserslautern during the fall of 2021.
The only fighter wing in Germany, Spangdahlem has played a continuing role in bolstering air defenses and reassuring allies in Eastern Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Hauck is headed to the Pentagon next, after giving way to Col. Kevin Crofton.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity,” Crofton said Friday.
He is a seasoned fighter pilot, having flown combat missions in Iraq and Syria, according to his Air Force biography.
Since receiving his commission at the Air Force Academy in 2001, he has commanded an F-16 fighter squadron and served as an F-16 instructor pilot and Top Gun F/A-18 instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, among other assignments.
Crofton’s last job was also in Europe. He commanded the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base in Italy.
