F-16 Pilot General Welsh to be Next Air Force Chief of Staff
General Mark Welsh, the current commander of USAFE, has been nominated by the President to become the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force. If confirmed, he would represent a return of the fighter pilot to the Chief position, which was filled for the first time by a non-fighter/bomber pilot with current Chief General Norton Schwartz.
“It’s always a great day to be an Airman … but this one is extra special for me. I came into the Air Force because I was in love with the airplanes; I stayed in because I fell in love with the people,” [Welsh] said. “Being allowed to continue to serve them, our Joint partners, and the nation in this role would be the privilege of a lifetime.”
General Welsh has 3,400 flight hours, primarily in the F-16 and A-10, and many awards — including the Distinguished Flying Cross, twice.
General Welsh is a 1976 USAFA graduate and a former commandant of cadets at the US Air Force Academy. He seems to be universally praised and is extremely well-known for his popular speeches on leadership, many of which are on YouTube.
His nomination has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. Currently, all Air Force nominations have been put on hold due to political wrangling over base closure and budget issues.
Awesome. I remember that speech as if it were yesterday. Definitely one of my favorites. I listen to it over and over. Hopefully he’ll get approved.
I missed his speech here and watched it on YouTube because so many cadets were talking about it. From what I’ve seen, he’s an amazing leader.
Are you seriously claiming that Norton Schwartz was the first non-fighter pilot to be Chief of Staff? From 1969 to 1982, they were all bomber pilots and one Chief of Staff (Thomas White) was nothing more than a staff officer with one stint as an observation pilot in DC.
@Fact Check
It was meant to say “fighter/bomber,” which has been corrected. White was an interesting fish, though. Many resources refer to fighter/bomber background when talking about the CSAF, and White may be given credit for leading numbered AFs in the Pacific during WWII. Thanks for the input.
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