704th Civil Engineering Squadron change of command

Col. Robert Bender, commander of the 704th Mission Support Group at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), hands the command flag to the new 704th Civil Engineering Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Saroya Follender. As squadron commander, she will be responsible for 24 government personnel and oversight of more than 400 contractors providing emergency and environmental services; housing and real property management and planning, programming, design and execution maintaining $7.8 billion infrastructure. Prior to coming to AEDC, Colonel Follender was the commander, operations flight 314th Civil Engineer Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Ark. She led 195 military and civilian technicians and engineers in the maintenance, repair and minor construction. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Mass. She entered the Air Force in January 1991 through ROTC after graduation from Tufts. In 1995, she earned a Master of Science degree in engineering and environmental management for the Air Force Institute of Technology. She graduated from the College of Naval Command and Staff with a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies.