General Ronald Keys confirmed as ACC commander

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LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  Ronald E. Keys was confirmed by the Senate May 26 for promotion to the rank of general and assignment here as the seventh commander of Air Combat Command.

Air Force Chief of Staff and former ACC commander Gen. John P. Jumper promoted ACCs newest commander to his four-star rank following the Senates confirmation. General Keys assumes his duties at Langley immediately.

Being selected to command ACC is a tremendous honor and I thank General Jumper for the opportunity to lead this great command, General Keys said. Im looking forward to working with the men and women of ACC and our Guard and Reserve members who serve side by side with us. Its an honor to be their commander and I cannot wait to get started.

In addition to his role as ACCs commander, General Keys will also serve as the air component commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command and U.S. Northern Command.

Prior to his assignment as the commander of the Air Forces largest major command, General Keys served as the deputy chief of staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, including more than 300 hours of combat time in Southeast Asia. He has commanded at numerous levels across the Air Force.

ACC is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for use around the world and for homeland defense. The command operates more than 1,200 aircraft, 25 wings, 15 bases and more than 200 operating locations worldwide with 110,000 active-duty and civilian members. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 800 aircraft and 65,000 people to the command.