Pledges "Rich And Vibrant Heritage" Will Continue Under His
Stewardship
Defense Secretary
Robert M. Gates swore in acting Air Force Secretary Michael B.
Donley as the 22nd Secretary of the Air Force during a ceremony
held at the Air Force Memorial in Washington on Friday.
Donley has served as the acting-Air Force Secretary since
June 21. He was confirmed by the Senate on October
2.
The new secretary thanked Gates for his support and pledged to
maintain America's military air power as the world's best. "The Air
Force is a world-class institution with a rich and vibrant
heritage," Donley said after being sworn in. "Millions of America's
airmen have worn its uniform with pride and affection, and millions
of civilians have served alongside them."
The Air Force is taking the necessary steps to strengthen its
nuclear enterprise, Donley said, and to restore excellence in its
acquisition realm.
The 61-year-old Air Force, Donley said, is an important joint
and interagency partner that provides global reach and power --
assets that have proved valuable in the fight against transnational
terrorism.
"And, it is in these roles that our interagency and coalition
partnerships will increasingly be critical to strategic success,"
Donley said.
Gates, a former Air Force intelligence officer, saluted Donley
as the right choice to lead today's airmen.
"Mike brings decades of experience in the military, the
government, and the private sector to this post," Gates said,
noting that Donley is a former assistant secretary of the Air Force
for financial management and was acting secretary for several
months in 1993. He also served on the Senate Armed Services
Committee and National Security Council staffs, and is a former
Army and Special Force's paratrooper, who later became the
Pentagon's chief administrator.
Gates cited the Air Force's important role as a key contributor
to the nation's defense. "Today's Air Force has been deployed, and
in some phase of war, for 18 years," Gates said, since Iraq invaded
Kuwait in the summer of 1990.
Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United
States, the Air Force has flown more than one million missions,
Gates said, including troop and cargo airlifts, medical evacuations
and close-air support, as well as tens of thousands of sorties
flown over America's skies to protect the homeland.
Air Force aircraft have transported thousands of troops and tons
of supplies across Iraq, Gates said.
And, thousands of battlefield-based airmen are performing
non-traditional tasks, Gates said, such as detainee operations,
convoy security and explosive-ordnance disposal.
"The increased air missions and
capabilities employed in Iraq, manned and unmanned, have been a
decisive factor in the dramatic security turn-around we have seen
over the past 18 months," Gates said. "Put simply, without the Air
Force's contributions in the skies and on the ground, America's war
effort would simply grind to a halt."
The Air Force is now at a key juncture, Gates said, as "it sees
the current conflicts through to success, while preparing for
challenges on and beyond the horizon."
The Air Force's current and future tasks, Gates said, include
"restoring trust in the Air Force's stewardship of the
most-sensitive part of our arsenal – nuclear weapons and
nuclear-related materials – modernizing the aging fighter and
tanker fleets, protecting the 'global commons' of the 21st century
– space and cyber space – and making the most-effective
use of air power in counterinsurgency operations, while maintaining
strategic deterrence and technological superiority as a hedge
against rising powers."
Gates and Donley were joined by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon
England; the ceremony's host, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton
A. Schwartz; and other senior civilian and military officials.
Donley had served as the director of administration and
management for the Defense Department, where he was responsible for
Washington Headquarters Services, a 1,300-employee agency that
oversees management of the Pentagon and DoD services within the
National Capitol Region.
Donley was also acting Secretary of the Air Force for seven
months in 1993 and had served as that service's top financial
officer from 1989 to 1993. He also served on the National Security
Council and was a professional staff member on the Senate Armed
Services Committee in the early 1980s.
Donley served in the Army's 18th Airborne Corps and 5th Special
Forces Group from 1972 to 1975. He holds a master's degree in
international relations from the University of Southern
California.
(Aero-News thanks Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press
Service)