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C ol. Lindsay Droz made history on June 29 when she took command of the 78th Air Base Wing at Robins Air Force Base. Her taking command of the Wing marks the first time in the base's 80-year history that four of its top commanders are female. It's a remarkable step, considering that of the 326,855 active duty members of the Air Force nationwide, only 21.3 percent are women. Col. Droz, who's served since 1998, now commands more than 2,700 personnel and supports 54 mission partners including the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex and Team JSTARS. She's responsible for the safety, security, morale and welfare of more than 23,000 Airmen and civilians assigned to Robins, and 28,000 local dependents and retirees. Leading Robins with Col. Droz is Brig. Gen. Jennifer Hammerstedt, the Commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. As commander, she oversees more than 7,200 primarily civilian personnel. She's been in this role since July 2020, and first began her career in the Air Force in 1996. Col. Amy Holbeck is the commander of the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins. She's also the first female wing commander in the history of the Georgia Air National Guard. She began her Air Force career in 1997 in avionics maintenance and has been at Robins since 2001. Col. Michelle Carns is commander of the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins. She was commissioned in 1997 and was assigned to both U.S. and NATO flying on the Airborne Warning and Control System, as well as a previous assignment with JSTARS. She's been at Robins since 2019 and is the first female wing commander in the history of the 461 ACW. In her speech at the Change of Command ceremony in June, Col. Droz called the historic moment "awe inspiring," and quickly turned the spotlight on the work of Robins as a whole. "Our goal is simple: to be the best version of ourselves every day. Our job is hard, but our Airmen, civilians, contractors and team Robins deserve the very best. ... It's pretty awe-inspiring, but this is about team Robins. This isn't about me; it's about the team." That sense of selfless striving for the good of the whole was a predominant theme in the conversation Macon Magazine had with the four commanders. In its own historic feat of scheduling, we sat down with all four women to talk about leading effectively, being a woman in a position of power, drawing more young people into service and supporting Robins from a community standpoint. What follows is an abbreviated version of the interview. Read a more complete interview at maconmagazine.com. 42 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021