MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Lieutenant Col. C.J. Mahoney relinquished command of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 to Lt. Col. Kevin M. Iiams in a change of command ceremony Aug. 15.
Iiams, who comes to the Bats from Marine Aircraft Group 11, earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986 and reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., for flight training.
After completing further training with an F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron, Iiams reported to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., where he served as the embarkation officer and powerline/flightline officer for the VMFA-451 Warlords. During his tour he completed an eight-month deployment to Shaik Isa Air Base, Baharain, and completed over 40 combat missions over Kuwait and Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
In 1992 Iiams attended the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Va., and subsequently the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course and the Marine Division Tactics Course.
He served with VMFA-235 as the pilot training officer and assistant operations officer and Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 at MCAS Yuma, Ariz., for a tour as the forward air controller instructor where he amassed over 2,400 FAC controls.
After earning his master's degree from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., he reported to VMFA-232 where he was deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, in support of Operations Southern Watch, Southern Focus and Iraqi Freedom.
During his career as a Marine Corps aviator, Iiams has logged in more than 2,900 total hours in the FA-18C/D, the F-5 and training aircraft.
His personal decorations include the Air Medal with four Strike/Flight awards, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat 'V' and two gold stars and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Iiams is married to the former Susan Gail Montgomery of New Orleans. They have two daughters, Samantha, 9, and Victoria, 7.
Mahoney will now serve with MAG-12.