WPAFB, Ohio -- Officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base held a ceremony on Monday morning to signal the change of command at the base.

Col. Bradley D. Spacy succeeded Col. Colleen Ryan as commander of the 88th Air Base Wing during the ceremony. Col. Ryan has commanded the 88th Air Base Wing since June 2006. She is retiring from the Air Force and plans to live in Dayton.

Col. Spacy is a 1987 Air Force ROTC graduate from Fresno State University in Fresno, Cal. He is a career Security Forces officer with extensive experience in Air Base Defense, Anti-terrorism and Force Protection.

He comes to the Miami Valley from Scott Air Force Base in Ill., where he most recently served as commander of the 375th Mission Support Group.

Spacy, a veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, later served as the director of force protection for U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward in support of Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom.

During his tour, Col. Spacy created, planned and participated in Operation Desert Safeside/Task Force 1041, an offensive ground combat operation to kill or capture insurgent forces attacking Balad Air Base in Iraq.

As commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at WPAFB, Col. Spacy will lead more than 5,000 officers, enlisted, Air Force civilian and contractor employees responsible for three primary mission areas: operating the installation, deploying expeditionary Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism; and defending the base and its people.

Lt. Gen. Jack Hudson presided over the ceremony, which was conducted before a formation of 88th ABW Airmen and civilian employees.