VIENNA TWP., Ohio - The 910th Airlift Wing will welcome its newest commander this coming weekend. 

Col. Joseph D. Janik will become the new commander of the wing and the installation commander of YARS during a Change of Command Ceremony this Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. 

Janik, who currently serves as the Vice Commander for YARS, will assume the responsibilities from Col. Dan Sarachene. 

Sarachene will relinquish his duties as Commander during the ceremony. Col. Sarachene assumed command on February 1, 2017. 

The ceremony will be presided over by Maj. Gen. Craig La Fave, Commander of 22nd Air Force, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.

Col. Janik arrived at YARS in November 2017 to begin his assignment as Vice Commander and Senior Air Reserve Technician.

Prior to becoming the 910th’s Vice Commander, he was the 22nd Air Force Director of Operations and Readiness at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. 

Col. Janik is a native of Buffalo, New York and currently resides in Canfield, Ohio with his wife, Annette, and their children.

The wing commander is responsible for the overall combat readiness of fourteen subordinate units with more than 1,300 assigned personnel and eight assigned C-130H Hercules tactical cargo transport aircraft. 

According to the 910th, they are also responsible for maintaining the Department of Defense's only large area, fixed-wing aerial spray capability to control disease-carrying insects, pest insects, and undesirable vegetation and to disperse oil spills in large bodies of water. 

Aerial spray missions may be executed in combat areas, on DoD installations or in response to disasters/ emergencies as declared by the President of the United States.