Lt. Col.  Rainer “Speedy” Gomez has been promoted to the rank of colonel and has taken command of the 165th Operations Group, a unit of the 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard.

The Savannah-based Airlift Wing flies the venerable C-130H aircraft in which Col. Gomez is a navigator.  Col. Gomez, as a state technician Guardsman, has held numerous positions within the Wing. He has more than 200 combat sorties during rotations in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

As commander, he oversees an operation of more than 200 personnel and eight C-130 H2 aircraft. The 165th AW has served on numerous rotations during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Col. Gomez is a graduate of The Citadel and received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1983. He has over 5,000 flying hours including the B-52 and the C-130 E/H2 models.

Col. Gomez resides in Rincon with his wife Jan. His daughter Jenny resides in Charlotte, N.C.