Two top commanders in the New Mexico Air National Guard were removed from their posts recently, a spokesperson confirmed to Military Times.
Col. Christopher George was relieved of his duties as commander of the 150th Special Operations Wing, located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday. Separately, Col. Jeffry Heggemeier, the wing’s deputy commander, was “reassigned” to Headquarters, New Mexico, Air National Guard.
“[Heggemeier’s] reassignment is a personnel assignment action and is not a relief from duty or command,” New Mexico National Guard spokesman Hank Minitrez told Military Times on Monday.
In place of George, Col. Angela Black will temporarily command the 150th SOW, Minitrez said. Lt. Col. Lonnie Mazuranich has been appointed temporarily to serve as the deputy commander in place of Heggemeier.
While Mazuranich now serves as deputy commander, he will also continue to work as commander of the 150th Operations Group.
George’s reassignment is a “personal matter,” causing the guard to not provide any additional details regarding the circumstances of the transfer, Minitrez said.
“These personnel changes do not affect the 150th Special Operations Wing’s mission or operational readiness,” Minitrez said. “The New Mexico National Guard remains focused on supporting its Airmen and maintaining the readiness necessary to meet state and federal mission requirements.”
Prior to serving as commander of the 150th Special Operations Wing, George was the commander of the 150th Maintenance Group. He was also an enlisted crew chief on the F-16 C/D models for over 15 years and was commissioned as a security forces officer for 10 years, among other roles.
Previously, Heggemeier was the director of staff, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico Air National Guard. He also served for four years on active duty, working on multiple directed energy development efforts. He transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 2006 and worked as a civilian employee at the Air Force Research Lab until 2022. He transferred to the New Mexico Air National Guard in 2014.
The 150th Special Operations Wing is tasked with training Special Operations and Combat Search and Rescue teams through Total Force Integration alongside the 58th Special Operations Wing.
The wing, which also houses the 250th Intelligence Squadron, provides training and resources for more than 900 personnel in support of state and federal operations.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.