81st Dental Squadron receives new commander Published July 15, 2014 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 81st Dental Squadron will welcome a new commander during a change of command ceremony in front of the Dental Clinic, July 15 at 8 a.m. Col. (Dr.) Robert Langsten will accept the squadron flag from Col. (Dr.) Chad Harris as Col. (Dr.) Tom Harrell, 81st Medical Group commander, officiates. Langsten comes to Keesler following an assignment as Air Force Expeditionary Dentistry Operations Consultant at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Harris, who has led the squadron since August 2012, will become commander of the 99th DS at Nellis AFB, Nevada. As the commander, Langsten is responsible for providing dental care to almost 47,000 active-duty military, family members and eligible beneficiaries in the Keesler AFB area and surrounding communities. He also oversees a two-year advanced training program for general dentistry residents, an advanced specialty training program in endodontics and a one-year Advanced Clinical Practice Program in dental implantology. The 81st DS is the third largest Air Force dental service squadron with 24 dental officers, 14 residents, 72 enlisted members and 17 civilians, including four contract dentists. The new commander entered the Air Force as a direct accession dental officer and completed a one-year Dental General Practice Residency at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. He later completed a Comprehensive Dentistry Residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas, in 2001. The colonel is a Diplomate of the American Board of General Dentistry and the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry. He earned fellowships in the Academy of General Dentistry, American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists, is the former American Dental Association Delegate for the Air Force and Delegate for the Academy of General Dentistry. Langsten is also the president of the Air Force Chapter of the Academy of General Dentistry and the Department of Defense lead dentist delegate to NATO. He has held a variety of teaching positions within the Air Force Dental Corps. He previously taught at Wilford Hall Medical Center, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Eglin AFB and Northwest Florida College. (The ceremony will be moved to the Keesler Medical Center's Don Wylie Auditorium in the event of inclement weather.)