NY Air Guard Lt. Col. Kip Trauch, a Liverpool resident, takes command of 224th Air Defense Squadron during May 26 ceremony
Rome, New York (06/12/2026) — Lt. Col. Kip Trausch, a Liverpool resident, officially became the commander of the New York Air National Guard's 224th Air Defense Squadron on May 26 during a ceremony at the Eastern Air Defense Sector.
Col. Joseph J. Miller Jr., commander of the 224th Air Defense Group, presided over the ceremony.
Trausch brings nearly two decades of command-and-control experience to his new role. His previous leadership positions include serving as deputy commander and director of operations at the Western Air Defense Sector at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Trausch also brings strategic-level expertise from a previous tour as the branch chief of combat integration for Air Combat Command.
A master air battle manager, Trausch has 2,067 flying hours in the E-3B/C aircraft and 7,500 mission hours in the Battle Control Center weapon system. He has deployed multiple times for combat, contingency, and counternarcotics missions, including Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve.
Prior to taking command of the squadron, Trausch served as the 224th Air Defense Group chief of plans and advanced programs, where he directed major strategic and modernization initiatives for emerging missions.
The Eastern Air Defense Sector, headquartered in Rome, New York, is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and is responsible for the air defense of the homeland. The 224thAir Defense Group, an independent wing-equivalent group of the New York Air National Guard, is located at EADS and provides the forces to conduct the air defense mission.
The 224thADG has several squadrons and detachments. The 224th Air Defense Squadron, the 224th Support Squadron, the 224th Security Forces Squadron and a Canadian Element NORAD detachment serve in Rome. Two geographically separated units, the 223rd Air Defense Squadron and the National Capital Region Coordination Center detachment, serve in the Washington, D.C. area.
For more information about the New York Air National Guard, visit http://www.dmna.ny.gov/. For more information on the Eastern Air Defense Sector and the 224th Air Defense Group, visit http://www.eads.ang.af.mil/.
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