Luke Air Force Base in Glendale gets new commander

There was a changing of the guard at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale Friday, as Colonel Nicholas R. Ihde took over as the new commander, Mayor Jerry P. Weiers announced.

Ihde, nicknamed “Matrix,” had served as the Commander of the 85th Fighter Group at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, since July 2024.

The new commander will take over for Brigadier General David J. Berland, who had served as the Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base since July 2024.

“I am very thankful for General Berkland’s leadership these past two years. Luke Air Force Base has always been a great partner, and General Berkland and I have worked hand-in-hand the last couple of years,” Weiers said in a news release. “When one door closes, another always opens. I would like to congratulate and welcome Colonel Nicholas R. Ihde on his new appointment as the next Commander of Luke Air Force Base.

“This is a well-deserved honor, and I look forward to working with Commander Ihde for the foreseeable future.”

Idhe, his wife Emily and two daughters, Maddy and Charlotte, will move from the Fort Smith area of Arkansas to the Luke Air Force Base of Arizona.

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