Command Chief Master Sgt. Edward Rittberg, a Mattituck resident, appointed as regional representative to the Air National Guard's Enlisted Field Advisory Council.
This version contains additional information about the 106th Rescue Wing .
F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, New York (03/05/2024) — New York Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sgt. Edward Rittberg, the top enlisted Airman in the 106th Rescue Wing and a Mattituck resident, has been appointed to the Air National Guard's Field Advisory Council.
The advisory council's role is to represent the concerns of the Air National Guard's 91,000 enlisted Airmen spread across 54 states and territories.
The council proposes solutions, provides legislative and executive oversight, and recommends policy action to the Air National Guard Command Chief on issues and concerns impacting the enlisted force of the Air National Guard.
Rittberg will be one of two Airmen representing 15,000 enlisted Airmen in the eight northeast states that make up Region One of the Air Guard's seven regions.
"I am honored to represent the enlisted force of Region One at the national level as we develop our airmen of tomorrow," Rittberg said.
Col. Shawn Fitzgerald, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing, praised Rittberg's selection for this role.
"I am thrilled about Command Chief Rittberg's appointment as one of the Enlisted Field Advisory Council Representatives for Region One," Fitzgerald said.
"His extensive experience will be invaluable in this role, offering him a unique opportunity to positively impact the lives of even more Airmen," he added.
Rittberg enlisted in the Air Force in 1994 as a life support specialist.
His first assignment was with the 335th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, in in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He joined the New York Air National Guard in 1997 and was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing's Mission Support Group.
In 2000, he became an HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft loadmaster assigned to the wing's 102nd Rescue Squadron.
As wing command chief since 2023, Rittberg has served as the key advisor to Fitzgerald.
He has also served as a senior enlisted Airmen in three of the wing's groups. He has served as superintendent of the wing's Mission Support Group, Medical Group, and Maintenance Group.
The 106th Rescue Wing, based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, and the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter. The 106th Rescue Wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers, specializing in rescue and recovery, and deploys for domestic and overseas operations.
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