President Bush nominates new ACC commander

  • Published
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --  The secretary of defense announced Aug. 19 that President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air and Space Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force, for appointment to the rank of general and assignment as commander, Air Combat Command, headquartered here.

Pending Senate confirmation of his promotion and reassignment, General Keys will replace Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, who is scheduled to retire Jan. 1, 2005. General Hornburg took command of ACC Nov. 14, 2001, and led the commands support of operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

In his role at the Pentagon, General Keys is responsible for formulating policy supporting air, space, intelligence, nuclear, counter-proliferation, homeland security, weather and information operations. As the Air Force operations deputy to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he determines operational requirements, capabilities and training necessary to support national security objectives and military strategy. A distinguished graduate of Kansas State Universitys ROTC program, General Keys was commissioned in 1967.

Air Combat Command is one of nine major commands of the U.S. Air Force and is the primary force provider of combat airpower to America's warfighting commands. To support global implementation of national security strategy, ACC operates more than 1,200 aircraft, 25 wings, 16 bases and more than 200 operating locations worldwide with 176,000 active-duty, air reserve component, and civilian personnel.