A change at the Joint Base

"I'm ready to go to work."
The message was short and direct as Col. John Wood addressed members of the 87th Air Base Wing after officially taking over as the new commander of the joint base at a change of command ceremony on Friday.
Wood, a California native, became just the second commander of the military post since Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst merged into the first tri-service joint base in the nation in 2009.
Wood most recently was commander of the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. He also served as the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron commander at McGuire Air Force Base.
On Friday, Wood returned to New Jersey to take the command from Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, who will head to the Pentagon outside Washington as deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services.
"I know how proud you are of this wing," Wood told Grosso during the ceremony. "I'm walking into a great wing."
Hundreds of guests as well as 253 service members of the 87th Air Base Wing took part in the ceremony inside a large aircraft hangar near the airstrip.
After receiving the Legion of Merit, an Army Commendation Medal and a final salute from her former staff, Grosso said goodbye to the many people who touched her life over the last two years at the base.
"As a commander, you know when you take the flag, you have the privilege of command for just two years," she said. "But it's truly impossible to prepare for this day, the day you have to give up the flag and let someone else lead the way."
Grosso also thanked the surrounding communities, with which she formed a strong bond.
"To the community members I've had the great pleasure of spending time with these past two years, thank you for making me feel so welcome in the community," she said. "Thank you for your friendship, but mostly thank you for caring about America's men and women serving in the United States military. I enjoyed every event you included me in, and I hope our friendship will endure far beyond my time here in New Jersey."
Grosso was known as an ambassador to local community leaders, forming strong bridges of communication between the base and the towns.
"She always did a great deal out in the community," said Michael Gorman, superintendent of the Pemberton Township School District. "She was always responsive to any needs we had."
Wrightstown Mayor Tom Harper said he hoped to continue a good relationship with the base under Wood's command.
"He's going to have to hit the ground running to compare to what she did," Harper said with a laugh. "Gina was always very helpful to Wrightstown and the surrounding communities. She was very good at her job."
Pemberton Township Mayor David Patriarca waited in line after the ceremony to personally greet Wood and shake hands.
"He's got big shoes to fill," Patriarca said. "But I look forward to working with him on many projects, and I hope the base will continue to be receptive to the concerns of the communities as Gen. Grosso was."