RAPID CITY - Rapid City's Ellsworth Air Force Base is scheduled to change commanders on Friday.

The Rapid City Journal reports that Col. Mark Weatherington is heading to Washington to become the military assistant to Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

Weatherington has served as commander of the base's 28th Bomb Wing for two years. He's being replaced by Col. Kevin Kennedy, who leaves a post in the Pentagon.

Kennedy served in several operational roles at Ellsworth from 1999 to 2003 and again in 2007 to 2010.

Kennedy has 3,200 hours of flight experience in the B-1 and T 38 Talon aircraft. He served as vice commander for the 379th Expeditionary Wing while deployed to Southwest Asia from 2011-2012.

Friday's invitation-only ceremony is scheduled for about 2:30 p.m.

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