A final flight, a new chapter: 944th Operations Group welcomes new commander
Col. Mark A. "Bags" Warner assumed command from Col. Peter H. "Bolt" Cossette on Oct. 17, 2026, during a ceremony presided over by Col. Todd Riddle, 944th Fighter Wing commander. For Cossette, the occasion followed a particularly meaningful Friday. The moment followed an eventful Friday for Cossette, who celebrated his retirement and completed his fini-flight, a longstanding Air Force tradition marking a pilot's final flight, just one day earlier.
Riddle opened by recognizing the wing's relationship with its active-duty counterparts and the surrounding community. He thanked the Airmen who brought the F-16 from Holloman, an aircraft familiar to many of the pilots gathered in a hangar also housing the next generation of fighter aviation.
Then he turned to Cossette.
"You are the best O.G. I've ever worked with," Riddle said, praising his attention to the details that rarely draw headlines but shape a unit's success. "I've appreciated your friendship and counsel these three years."
A 2003 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Cossette amassed more than 3,000 flight hours in the F-16 and F-35. His career took him from assignments in Italy and South Korea to instructor and leadership roles at Luke and other fighter training installations. He transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2013 and assumed command of the 944th Operations Group in May 2024.
Under his leadership, the group supported fighter pilot training across Luke, Holloman and Eglin Air Force bases, preparing American and allied aviators for demanding missions. During the ceremony, Cossette also received the Legion of Merit in recognition of his service and contributions to the group's operations and future capabilities.
Yet his remarks offered a more personal reflection on a career spent in uniform. Recalling a recent college visit with his children, Cossette described how quickly young people can feel pressured to decide what they want to become. He remembered arriving at the Air Force Academy without all the answers himself.
"Don't chase a title or a flashy job," he told them. "Chase things that interest you, and that are meaningful to you."
That sense of purpose carried into his farewell to the instructors, support personnel, civilian teammates, and families who helped build the group he was leaving behind.
"I'll miss walking into your offices and figuring out how to solve problems together," Cossette said.
For Warner, the change of command followed a decision that took months to make. Riddle brought a little humor to the moment, recalling that he offered Warner the position in November 2025 and that Warner "promptly responded" the following May, asking, "Hey boss, is that job offer still on the table?" Behind the playful remark was an acknowledgment of the weight of Warner's decision. Having considered retirement, he had to weigh the responsibilities of another command and the sacrifices it would mean for his family.
His ties to the 944th run deep. A 2004 Air Force Academy graduate, Warner transitioned to the Reserve in 2016 after 12 years on active duty and has accumulated more than 2,600 flying hours in the F-16 and F-35. His career includes leading the 69th Fighter Squadron, serving as the group's deputy commander and, most recently, acting commander of the 944th Maintenance Group, where he oversaw hundreds of Airmen sustaining the F-35 mission.
At the podium, Warner also turned to the people closest to him. He acknowledged his wife and children and the support behind his decision to remain in uniform. Ultimately, it was not the next title that convinced him.
"What it really came down to was the opportunity to continue doing purposeful work on a mission with incredible people who I love to be around," Warner said.
Riddle had seen that commitment beyond the flight line, recalling family gatherings, movie nights and community events that Warner helped foster. To Riddle, that culture is essential to the Reserve's future.
"And so we recruit fighter pilots with jets and guitar riffs and commercials, but we retain families," Riddle said.
For Cossette, the ceremony closed a career shaped by the people he served alongside. For Warner, it marked a choice to keep serving them. And for the 944th Operations Group, the mission continues through the Airmen and families who sustain it.
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