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Air Force leadership changes

  • Published
  • By Col. Al Hunt
  • 375th Airlift Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The U.S. Senate recently confirmed General Norton Schwartz to become the 19th Air Force Chief of Staff and General Duncan McNabb to assume command of U.S. Transportation Command.

As graduates of the Air Force Academy, both Generals Schwartz and McNabb have 34+ years of active military service. General Schwartz's accomplished career includes more than 4,200 flying hours as a command pilot. He has also served as commander of the Special Operations Command-Pacific, commander of Alaskan Command (Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region), and commander of 11th Air Force, Elmendorf, Alaska, as well as the director for operations and director of the Joint Staff in Washington D.C.

In his current position as the commander of USTRANSCOM, General Schwartz has led a remarkable team responsible for the Department of Defense's global, air, land and sea transportation network. Leading USTRANSCOM for nearly three-years, General Schwartz has faced the challenges of the ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa along with several humanitarian crisis including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and the recent earthquake in China.

In watching General Schwartz lead his command through the continued high operations tempo, one thing is evident-- General Schwartz is a man who embodies heart, soul and mind the Air Force core values. As the base commander, under his tutelage, I have grown to appreciate even more the power the Joint Total Force at Scott and around the world brings to the fight every day as we leverage technology, ingenuity and manpower to promote democracy and good will.

As we bid farewell to General Schwartz, we welcome back General McNabb as the ninth commander of USTRANSCOM. General McNabb is no stranger to Scott either. He served as the chief of the plans integration branch from July 1984 to June 1986 for what was then Headquarters Military Airlift Command. General McNabb remained at Scott to become aide to the USTRANSCOM and Military Airlift Command commander until June 1988.

He moved onto other positions at air mobility bases only to return to Scott in 1997 as the commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center from 1997 to 1999 and, most recently, as the commander of Air Mobility Command from October 2005 to September 2007.

General McNabb has a wealth of experience with more than 5,400 flying hours as a command pilot and navigator. He's held several key leadership positions on the Joint Staff and at Headquarters Air Force.

General McNabb is a leader who recognizes the strengths of our total force military structure and knows how to best leverage these partnerships for the greatest strategic gain. Without a doubt, he will build upon the successes of General Schwartz's at USTRANSCOM.

General McNabb will combine forces with two of his three great component commanders at Scott, Gen. Art Lichte of Air Mobility Command, and Brig. Gen. Jim Hodge of Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, as the single distribution process owner for the Department of Defense...the best in the world, bar none!

On behalf of the Joint Total Force Scott community, we bid a hearty farewell to General Norty and Suzie Schwartz and welcome back General Duncan and Linda McNabb. We look forward to the opportunity to continue serving with you. May continued success greet you on your next journey.