47th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nicholas Larsen
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  47th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron (OMRS) Airmen bid farewell to Lt. Col. Elena Arushanyan, and welcomed their new commander Lt. Col. Avis McCaslin, during a change of command ceremony here, June 21, 2024.

Col. Angela Lacek, 47th Medical Group (MDG) commander, presided over the ceremony, mentioning the impact that the OMRS has on Laughlin’s operational readiness and the pivotal role Lt. Col. Arushanyan played in the persistence of operations at the 47th MDG.

“When I arrived at Laughlin two years ago, Elena was the continuity” said Lacek. “She inherited a challenging squadron, the OMRS is the squadron in the MDG that has the most mission impact.”

Arushanyan, who served as commander of the 47th OMRS since June 2022, will will be taking her incredible leadership to her next assignment at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

“[47th OMRS], it has been an honor and a privilege to be your commander,” said Arushanyan. “746 days ago I told you my leadership philosophy is to take care of my people and they will take care of the mission. You really did deliver, I’ve had to have a tracker started because of all the awards y’all are winning.”

During her time in command Arushanyan oversaw 54 Airmen in her squadron and provided care to 3,000 beneficiaries. She also oversaw two medical readiness training platforms and four training events, leading to the Air Education Training Command’s second best readiness rate and guaranteeing 865 on-time graduates for pilot graduation.

“Avis, I have no doubt that you will pick up where Elena left off and lead this squadron with enthusiasm and purpose,” said Lacek. “You definitely have the background and pedigree to effectively lead this dynamic team and I know we picked right bringing you to Laughlin.”

McCaslin joins Team XL from her previous station as the flight commander of Special Missions Auxiliary Clinic, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

“The only thing you need to know today is that I will give this unit my very best and I expect to be held accountable to do just that,” said McCaslin. “I value teams, I value relationships, I value people, and I will work tirelessly to prove my dedication to you and the mission we all serve.”