Official change of command program inside

1 Vol. 40, No. 30 Thursday, July 26, 2012 Photo by Airman David Tracy (Left) Col. Lenny Richoux, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, and Col. Scott DeThomas, incoming 6th AMW commander, in the cockpit of a KC-135 Stratotanker on the flightline at MacDill Air Force Base, July 23. DeThomas will take command Friday in a ceremony at 9 in Hangar 3. Official change of command program insideMacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Terry JamersonEditor: Nick StubbsThe MacDill Thunderbolt is published by Sunbelt News-papers, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the Official views of, or endorsed by the government, the Department of De-fense, the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobil-ity appearance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does not constitute en-dorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspa-pers, Inc.

2 , of the products or service advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-mer-it factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. Display advertising or classified advertising information may be obtained by calling 259-7455. News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submit-ted to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, Bldg. 299, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill Thunderbolt staff at 828-2215. Email: for article submissions is noon, Thursdays to appear in the next week s publication. Articles received af-ter deadline may be considered for future use. All submis-sions are considered for publication based on news value and timeliness.

3 Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clar-ity, brevity, conformance with the Associated Press Style-book and Libel Manual and Air Force Instruction S ACTION LINEThe Action Line provides a two-way communication between the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. A 24-hour recording service is provided so personnel may submit questions, concerns or com-ments. Call the Action Line at 828-INFO (4636) or email OF command PROGRAMThe change of command ceremony begins at 9 in Hangar 3, where Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay will pass command of the 6th Air Mobility Wing to Col. Scott DeThomas, and MacDill will bid farewell to Col. Lenny Richoux, the outgoing 6th AMW commander. The following is the schedule of events, which will run about one hour, not including the Introductionsu Arrival of the Official Partyu Presentation of Commandu Presentation of Colorsu National Anthemu Invocationu Inspection of Troopsu Lt.

4 Gen. Ramsay s Commentsu Presentation of Decorationu Col. Richoux s Commentsu change of Commandu Col. DeThomas s Commentsu Air Force Songu Departure of Official Partyu Reception to follow at the Surf s Edge ClubSchedule of eventsSelected for reassignment as director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, J-8, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, Lt. Gen. Mark F. Ramsay is the commander, 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. As Air Mobility command s sole warfighting numbered air force, 18th Air Force is responsible for the command s worldwide operational mission. With more than 39,000 active-duty Airmen, Reserv-ists, and civilians and approximately 1,300 airlift and air refueling aircraft, 18th Air Force man-ages a streamlined organization that focuses the air mobility warfighting capability through the 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center), 11 wings and two stand-alone Ramsay entered the Air Force in 1982 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Train-ing School.

5 He has commanded an air refueling squadron and wing (KC-135s), and an airlift group comprising six different fixed and rotary-winged aircraft transporting our nation s most senior leaders. He has also commanded two ex-peditionary air refueling squadrons supporting operations Provide Comfort and Southern Watch. The general was the Central command Air Forces Deputy Director of Mobility Forces from fall 2004 through spring 2005, ensuring airlift and air refueling missions supported the com-bat, humanitarian, convoy casualty mitigation, and national democratic election operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. General Ramsay has served as Chief of the programs and Mobility Division at Headquar-ters European command ; Chief of the Glob-al Mobility and program Integration divisions and Director of Strategic Planning on the Air Staff; and Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Europe, NATO, Russia and Africa on the Joint Staff.

6 Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and In-telligence, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO, Casteau, :1980 Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Master of Science degree in aviation man-agement, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univer-sity1993 Air command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Air War College, by correspondence1999 Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies, with highest distinction, Naval War College, Newport, National Security Studies, Syracuse Uni-versity, Defense Policy Seminar, George Washing-ton University, Washington, Assignments:1. January 1983 - December 1983, student, un-dergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas2.

7 December 1983 - May 1989, C-9A evaluator pilot and assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 11th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron, Scott AFB, May 1989 - August 1992, C-9C instructor pilot, assistant Chief of Wing programs and Require-ments, and wing executive officer, 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, August 1992 - June 1993, student, Air Com-mand and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, June 1993 - June 1995, Deputy Division Chief and Strategic Airlift program Element Monitor, Mobility, Training and Special Operations Re-quirements Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, June 1995 - July 1998, operations officer and Commander, 98th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild AFB, July 1998 - July 1999, student, Naval War Col-lege, Newport, August 1999 - July 2001, Chief, programs and Mobility Division, Logistics and Security Assis-tance Directorate (ECJ4), Headquarters U.

8 S. European command , Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Ger-many9. July 2001 - August 2003, Commander, 89th Operations Group, Andrews AFB, September 2003 - March 2005, Commander, 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, (October 2004 - March 2005, CENTAF Dep-uty Director of Mobility Forces, Southwest Asia)11. March 2005 - February 2006, Chief, Global Mobility Division, Directorate of programs , Dep-uty Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Pro-grams, Headquarters Air Force, Washing-ton, February 2006 - January 2007, Chief, Pro-gram Integration Division, Directorate of Pro-grams, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and programs , Headquarters Air Force, Washington, January 2007 - September 2008, Deputy Di-rector for Politico-Military Affairs for Europe, NATO, Russia and Africa (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, September 2008 - October 2009, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and programs , Headquarters Air Force, Washington, October 2009 - September 2011, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO, Casteau, Belgium16.

9 September 2011 - present, Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill. Summary of join assignments: 1. August 1999 - July 2001, Chief, programs and Mobility Division, Logistics and Security Assis-tance Directorate (ECJ4), Headquarters U. S. European command , Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Ger-many, as a colonel Lt. Gen. Mark RamsayLt. Gen. Mark Ramsay change OF command PROGRAMSee RAMSAY, Page 7 change OF command program Col. DeThomas is the Commander, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia. He leads 700 Airmen supporting Coalition forces and civilian contractors at the United States Air Force s second busiest aerial port of debar-kation while delivering Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airmen in support of US Central Com-mand operations. Airmen of the 387th provide base operating support integration, security, anti-terrorism and force protection, civil engi-neering, emergency management, personnel support, vehicle maintenance/fleet manage-ment and base-supply support at the primary intra-theater airlift hub.

10 Additionally, the group is home to the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, the Air Force s only line-haul trucking company providing convoy logis-tics in support of Operations New Dawn and Enduring , he has served in positions that include; Wing Accounting and Finance Officer, EC-130 Compass Call Aircraft Commander, and C-17 Evaluator and Lead Airdrop Pilot. Col De-Thomas has held various positions on the Air Staff to include Lead Action Officer for Joint Studies and Analyses, Executive Officer to the Director of Strategic Planning, and Military As-sistant to the Secretary of the Air DeThomas has commanded both in gar-rison and while deployed to Southwest Asia where he served as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Commander providing C-17 airlift and airdrop capability to our nation s warfighters.