| Date: 10/08/2012 Time: 09:00:00 PM |
Top Pentagon officials swore in General Mark
Welsh as the 20th Air Force Chief of Staff while honoring retiring predecessor
General Norton Schwartz at the Air Force Transition Ceremony.
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, General Martin Dempsey and
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta praised both men at the ceremony in
Maryland.
Welsh, a 1976 graduate of the Air Force Academy, assumed command of U.S.
Air Forces in Europe in December 2010. Prior to that, he was the associate
director of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Military Affairs office, serving
under Panetta, who was then head of the CIA.
Welsh was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, after Senator John Cornyn
ended his hold on the promotion. |