GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The 319th Operations Group welcomed Col. Eric Steele as the new commander during an assumption of command ceremony June 30, 2023, on Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. An assumption of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit to a commanding officer. An assumption of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit to a commanding officer.