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USTRANSCOM identifies next in command

  • Published
  • By Bob Fehringer
  • U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, U.S. Transportation Command commander, informed members of his command about his retirement and the nomination of his successor, Air Force Lt. Gen. William Fraser III, during a commander's call, April 23, in the base theater.

General Fraser currently serves as assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is slated to become the USTRANSCOM commander Nov. 14. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"The plan will be to do this in an orderly, disciplined way," General Schwartz continued. "We'll prepare General Fraser for his confirmation hearing, which will probably occur in June.

"Bottom line is it ain't over until it's over," General Schwartz added. "We are fully committed to maintaining the pace until the last hour, the last minute. The key thing is that both Suzie (his wife) and I want you to know we are going to sprint to the finish and would very much like you to sprint along with us."

General Fraser entered the Air Force in 1974 as a distinguished graduate of the Texas A&M University ROTC program. His operational assignments include duty as a T-37 instructor pilot and evaluator; B-52 aircraft commander, instructor and evaluator; and deputy commander of a B-1 operations group.

General Fraser was the first commander of the 509th Operations Group, then served as the vice wing commander for the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. He commanded the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

The general's staff duties include tours on the Air Staff, Joint Staff and Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. He also has served as chief of the Nuclear Requirements Cell at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and chief of staff for U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.