STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. -- The Airmen of the 105th Civil Engineer Squadron said goodbye to one leader and welcomed another in a change of commander ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, June 7, 2026.
Lt. Col. Benjamin Thomas, outgoing commander of the 105th CES, passed the guidon and command of the squadron to Maj. Gemma Fiduk, incoming commander of the 105th CES.
Fiduk served as the deputy base civil engineer prior to taking on her new role as both 105th CES commander and base civil engineer. Prior to that role, Fiduk served as the education officer for ROTC Detachment 005 at Auburn University in Alabama.
Thomas will be retiring from the New York Air National Guard after 20-years of dedicated service.
The 105th CES is tasked with maintaining base infrastructure, responding to emergencies, via the Emergency Management Flight and Fire Department, and more.
The purpose of a change of command ceremony is to provide the outgoing commander with the opportunity to bid farewell to their unit and the unit in turn to welcome the incoming commander. This tradition dates back to the 18th century and the passing of the guidon, or flag, signifies the passing of command in front of the members of the unit.