Posted on Jun 25, 2016
7
7
0
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh marked his retirement -- officially scheduled for July 1 -- with a ceremony Friday morning at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Welsh, the Air Force's 20th chief of staff, bid his official farewell in a hangar filled with family, colleagues past and present, and two aircraft he had flown during the course of his 40-year career: the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the A-10 Thunderbolt, aka the Warthog.
"To airmen and families everywhere, you are magnificent," he said. "It has been the honor of my life to represent you. This may be the understatement of my life, but I will miss you."
Welsh, the Air Force's 20th chief of staff, bid his official farewell in a hangar filled with family, colleagues past and present, and two aircraft he had flown during the course of his 40-year career: the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the A-10 Thunderbolt, aka the Warthog.
"To airmen and families everywhere, you are magnificent," he said. "It has been the honor of my life to represent you. This may be the understatement of my life, but I will miss you."
Welsh Retires as Air Force Chief of Staff at Andrews Ceremony
Posted from military.com
GEN
Airmen
Retirement
A-10
F-16 Pilot
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
4
4
0
3
3
0
"Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said one of Welsh's greatest legacies will be as "an integrator"....umm if that helps him sleep at night. But as soon as I saw this, those Miley Cyrus text messages he allowed to damn near kill two careers over was dumb. Also as a former A10 pilot, he should've known first hand how important the plane was to those on the ground, but he used funny language to "hide" them until it was found out. i wish him well in life he's earned t/
(3)
(0)
SSG Warren Swan
MSgt Terry Swift - I was trying to be nice and respectful in my comment. The F-35 survives due to both GO and Congressional support. That's how most of our projects work when we know we should kill it and move on this being no exception. I wonder who he will work for once he is finally retired? Defense industry pays good money for former GO's to come in and fill some "vacant" Senior President of the Senior Vice President to the advisor to the senior executive of janitorial, custodial, and property maintenance section.
(1)
(0)
SSG Warren Swan
MSgt Terry Swift - MSgt, I'm retired also. I was trying to be nice one due to his rank and position, and the fact that everyone on here knows someone else who knows me or you.
The F35 is a pet project for a select few who really give a damn. To me or you, we see what it actually is..a complete clusterfuck and massive money pit. Every time they take a step forward to make you think it "might" work, the program takes 50 steps back and they rush some BS excuse out, and show off the gun that will be inside of it to distract those not in the know. You're dead right this plane won't be anywhere near as capable as the ones it's replacing, and for an airframe that has been in design well over 15 years, someone is making a killing stretching it out and cashing in. This was also supposed to be a "global" deal. If so why does it seem that we're the ones eating this up? Canada dropped it already this year. What are we waiting for?
The F35 is a pet project for a select few who really give a damn. To me or you, we see what it actually is..a complete clusterfuck and massive money pit. Every time they take a step forward to make you think it "might" work, the program takes 50 steps back and they rush some BS excuse out, and show off the gun that will be inside of it to distract those not in the know. You're dead right this plane won't be anywhere near as capable as the ones it's replacing, and for an airframe that has been in design well over 15 years, someone is making a killing stretching it out and cashing in. This was also supposed to be a "global" deal. If so why does it seem that we're the ones eating this up? Canada dropped it already this year. What are we waiting for?
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I hope no AF senior NCOs tried to manhandle anyone involved in the ceremony! ;)
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google