Col. James Rossi has assumed command of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, replacing Col. John Miner, who led the CRTC from November 2017 until he recently was reassigned to the National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing.

Rossi comes to Alpena after serving as a KC-135T pilot at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and commander of the 127th Air Refueling Group.

In 1993, Rossi was commissioned and become a navigator on C-130E aircraft. The next year, he graduated from the Academy of Military Science and followed with specialized undergraduate navigator training at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.

He served overseas in Operations Desert Storm, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

He moves to Alpena with his wife, Jennifer, and said in a statement released by the Guard that strong community engagement is high on his list of priorities.

Welcome aboard, Col. Rossi. We know you’ll love it here in Alpena.

And good luck to Col. Miner. Thank you for your service to our community.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)