Brig. Gen. Peter “;Skipper”; Pawling left the Hawaii Air National Guard as the commander of the 154th Wing on Saturday to become the mobilization assistant to Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command.

He will replace Maj. Gen. Vern Miyagi, who will retire at the end of the month. Pawling has been a pilot in the Hawaii Air National Guard for 38 years. Hawaii Air Guard Col. Joseph Kim was named Pawling's temporary replacement.

As part of Saturday's ceremonies, Pawling made his traditional “;last flight”; as a pilot of the unit's latest addition, a C-17 Globemaster cargo jet. After turning over the unit flag to Maj. Gen. Darryll Wong, commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard, Pawling was promoted to major general, with his wife and Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, Hawaii adjutant general, pinning on his second star.

He served as the 154th Wing commander since October 2003. It has been a long road since he graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1971 and began pilot training at Laredo Air Force Base in Texas in May 1972.

Pawling's career highlights include service as the detachment commander for the 154th Wing's first F-15 combat deployment to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in 1994. Pawling later served as the detachment commander for the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron's deployment to Istres in France, where the KC-135 Stratotankers conducted air refueling operations during the Kosovo campaign in 1999.

The 154th Wing is the largest Hawaii Air Guard organization, consisting of a headquarters element, three groups, 12 squadrons and five flights. There are 20 F-15 Eagle jet fighters, nine KC-135 jet tankers and eight C-17 Globemaster jets assigned to its units. By 2011 the Hawaii Guard will receive 20 F-22 Raptor jet fighters.

Pawling is a command pilot with more than 4,400 hours in F-102A Delta Dagger, F-4C Phantom II and F-15A Eagle fighter jets; C-7 Caribou, C-130H Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes; and KC-135s.

Two other changes of command will take place in the Hawaii Air Guard this month.

Lt. Col. Earl R. Alameida Jr. has been selected as the new leader of the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, and Lt. Col. Gregory S. Woodrow will head the 204th Airlift Squadron.

The Air Force also announced the promotion of three officers stationed at Hickam Air Force Base to brigadier general. They are:

» Col. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, assistant director, operations, plans, requirements and programs, at Pacific Air Forces headquarters.

» Col. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, commander of the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Pacific Air Forces.

» Col. Howard B. Baker, director of logistics at Pacific Air Forces headquarters.