Story by Tech. Sgt. Jason Boyd
Michigan National Guard
ALPENA, Mich. – Col. James Rossi assumed command of Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in a ceremony held on base Aug. 14. He succeeds Col. John Miner, who had led the CRTC since 2017.
Prior to accepting the assignment at Alpena, Rossi, a KC-135T pilot at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. was the commander of the 127th Air Refueling Group. Miner assumed command of the CRTC in November 2017. He has accepted a new assignment at the Michigan National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing.
The assumption of command ceremony was officiated by Brig. Gen. Bryan Teff, commander of the Michigan Air National Guard. Teff thanked Miner for the work he did during his time as commander of the
CRTC.
“Col. Miner was the right person at the right time to be the commander here, and he was very dedicated, not only the mission of the CRTC, but also the men and women of the unit,” said Teff.
Rossi’s opportunity to lead the staff of Alpena CRTC opens the next chapter in an already accomplished career, which started as an enlisted Airman in 1987.
“I would like to thank Col. Miner for nearly three years of leadership at the CRTC,” said Rossi.
In 1993, Col. Rossi was chosen to receive a commission and become a navigator on the unit’s C-130E aircraft. In 1994, he graduated from the Academy of Military Science and followed-on with Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He has deployed multiple times and has supported Operations Desert Storm, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. As an officer in the 127th Wing, Col. Rossi has held the position of airfield manager, chief of scheduling, director of training, chief of current operations, director of
operations, and Air Refueling Squadron commander.
Rossi and his wife, Jennifer, will be relocating to Alpena to start their new chapter together.
Looking ahead, high on his list of priorities is the continued growth of the Michigan National Guard and the CRTC, along with continuing strong community engagement.
“I appreciate seeing all of the leaders of the city and county here, I really do look forward to continuing the strong relationship that Col. Miner started, and building upon that as well,” said Rossi.
“My first priorities in this new opportunity are to listen, learn about this great facility and the community of Alpena, and to keep up the positive momentum the CRTC is contributing to important events like Northern Strike that make a difference in the readiness of forces across the Department of Defense.”
“There is a process that we go through to when hiring a person for the mission of commander; we look at many different aspects and Col. Rossi fits all of those,” said Teff. “He comes in as the most experienced group commander we have in the Michigan Air National Guard; he is well prepared for this job; he has all the key attributes, and I look forward to seeing him excel in his new role."
Rossi looks forward to continuing the supporting the Michigan National Guard’s vision of making Michigan the premier location for all-domain innovation and training. Northern Michigan is home
to the newly rebranded National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which includes Alpena CRTC and Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center.
“To the men and women of the CRTC: let’s do great things,” said Rossi. “Our time serving is limited; let’s make the most of it by not shying away from those big ideas, those ideas that can significantly improve the training environment in Northern Michigan.”