DAVIS MONTHAN AFB, Ariz. -- Col. John D. Beatty retired from the United States Air Force after more than 35 years of service to the country at a ceremony on Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, March 8, 2020.
Col. Kurt A. Matthews, vice commander, 22nd Air Force, presided over the light-hearted ceremony.
Poking fun at Beatty, Matthews recited an impromptu oath of retirement, which included themes of taking care of family and promising to take retirement seriously with some well-deserved relaxing.
Beatty took enormous responsibility commanding the group as a traditional Reservist while maintaining a civilian federal law enforcement career. Beatty served the unit selflessly and with dedication.
Matthews revealed Beatty had pushed retirement back no less than three times to extend his service for the needs of the organization.
Beatty told the 943rd Rescue Group his last assignment was his favorite before relinquishing command.
"Thank you for the tremendous work you've done during my time as commander," said Beatty to Airmen of the 943rd RQG.
"To whom much is given, much is expected. Your talent, knowledge, and skill will be called upon, again and again, to ensure mission success and propel combat search and rescue forward.
You will field new equipment, develop refined tactics, techniques, and procedures which will enhance our probability for safe and successful personnel recovery missions by improving our situational awareness, increasing our survivability, and bolstering our lethality. You'll be the vanguard of these initiatives and your efforts will be crucial to preserving the rich heritage and legacy of our rescue mission while shaping the future of it.
The future is in your hands and you have proven yourselves to be more than capable. The military is a team sport. No one succeeds or fails by themselves. We do it together.
I couldn't be prouder than to have had all of you as my teammates. Your professionalism, skill, and dedication to duty inspire me. You've made my last military assignment the most rewarding of my career. It's been an honor and a privilege to serve as your commander.
Keep exceeding expectations and being the standard-bearers for this noble mission."