Nevada Air National Guard to get new chief

Brig. Gen. Michael Gullihur will hand over the reins of the Nevada Air National Guard to Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch in a change-of-command ceremony in Reno on Sunday.

Gullihur, who is retiring, will put Fitch in charge of the state's 1,100 Air Guard troops based in Las Vegas, Carson City, Indian Springs and Reno.

In his 38-year career, Fitch has served most recently as director of the joint force headquarters for the Nevada National Guard where he assisted the adjutant general in guiding the Air Guard directorates and the joint headquarters staff.

As a civilian, Fitch, 57, is manager of Nevada Power Co.'s distribution design in Las Vegas.

In the Air National Guard, he has served as a fuels management officer, missions support squadron commander and chief of supply. He also was a key player in the development of the Nevada Guard/Turkmenistan partnership that began in 1993, according to a statement from the Nevada Office of the Military.

Gullihur, a 40-year veteran pilot, became commander of the Nevada Air Guard in 2006 and had served as commander of the 152nd Airlift Wing.