United States Air Force
General Jacqueline Van Ovost, the first woman to lead the US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and one of the first 10 women
to have reached the rank of four-star general, has retired. Her command was passed on to Air Force
General Randall Reed. Ovost was first promoted to general in 2020, and at the time, she was the only woman in the US military to hold that rank. Separately, the

Under Secretary of the Air Force (also a woman) has praised women’s contributions to the US military
.

General Ovost retired from TRANSCOM

General Ovost’s retirement and the passing of command took place at a ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

“You’ve always had a message for women in uniform. And that message is: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Every time that you encountered an obstacle, you kept at it. You wanted to fly Mach 2. But back then, women weren’t allowed to fly fighters. So once again, you made the path wider. You became a test pilot. And you flew more than 30 aircraft, including F-15s and F-16s.” – Lloyd Austin at change of command ceremony

Meanwhile, TRANSCOM tweeted, “Today we honor Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost’s leadership and legacy, and welcome Gen. Randall Reed as our 15th commander. Join us live for the ceremony at at 10 AM CDT.”

Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost

Photo: US Air Force

Task and Purpose wrote, “Promoted to General in August of 2020, Van Ovost was the senior officer in that rank among the four women four-star generals and admirals across the U.S. military.” Ovost also retired with over 4,200 flight hours in over 30 aircraft (including F-15s and F-16s).

Women are eligible to fill every role in the US Air Force – including combat.

Air Force requirements for men and women are broadly the same
(although there are some differences for things like physical tests).

The military a logistics organization that also fights

Ovost’s role as head of TRANSCOM was to coordinate almost all the movement of US troops, weapons, and supplies around the world. The Air Force says TRANSCOM’s “mission is to project and sustain military power globally in order to assure our friends and allies, deter potential adversaries, and if necessary, respond to win decisively.”

SF_AFTERBURNING, VAPING F-22 RAPTOR UNDER PACIFIC AIRSHOW OVERCAST - 16x9_JAK

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

The logistics command coordinates not only military aircraft, trucks, and ships but also civilian-owned planes, trucks, and ships. The US military logistics is without peer and is one of the greatest sources of the ability of the US military to project power around the world. The US military is so focused on logistics that it has been called a logistics organization that fights.

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