Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at U.S. Transportation Command's Change of Command Ceremony

Well, good morning, everyone!

[Audience responds, "Good morning."]

I don't think there's anybody out there. Good morning everyone!

[Audience responds, "Good morning!"]

Right, all right, I'm liking it.

It is indeed an honor to be here today with so many friends and distinguished guests, including former members of Congress, former TRANSCOM commanders, local leaders, and more.

And I want to give a special shout-out to our outstanding Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Brown, CQ, thanks for your leadership.

Let's also give a warm welcome to the families of General Jackie Van Ovost and General Randall Reed.

[Applause]

Above all, today is about the dedicated men and women of U.S. Transportation Command. So, let's give them a hand

[Applause]

And I agree with the Chairman. It is great to be back at Scott Air Force Base-the epicenter of our military's global reach.

Logistics lives here.

You know, units here supply U.S. troops around the world.

And 37 years ago this week, the Department of Defense stood up TRANSCOM, right here at Scott.

Back in 1987, at the establishment ceremony, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Taft said that deterrence and modern warfare demand "the ability to move, to shoot, and to communicate."

And he reminded everyone, "The order of these three requirements is not accidental. The ability to move-to deploy forces and equipment-is first on the list."

You know, he was right then. And he's right now.

When crises strike, when the Commander in Chief asks for options, "the ability to move" comes first.

And the Department of Defense stands ready because of TRANSCOM.

And because of your three service components: Air Mobility Command, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and the Military Sealift Command-along with the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command.

And because of your 120,000 logistics professionals-here and around the world.

Because of your partners in the commercial transportation industry.

And most of all, because of you.

All of you.

When America calls, TRANSCOM moves out.

You know, we've asked a lot of you over the past three and a half years. And you have delivered. And you've made history.

In the lead-up to and after Putin's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022, TRANSCOM was there.

And over the past two and half years, TRANSCOM has delivered more than $21 billion in weapons and ammunition to help Ukraine defend itself.

We've surged forces to Europe to reinforce our NATO allies.

We've kept Ukraine's defenders in the fight against the largest military in Europe.

And TRANSCOM made it possible.

You know, that's also true in the Middle East.

After the despicable terrorist assault on Israel by Hamas almost exactly a year ago, on October 7th, TRANSCOM was there.

You've helped CENTCOM move forces into place to manage this crisis.

And you've delivered crucial security assistance to help Israel defend itself.

And you've rushed critical humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

You know, warfare-and the ability to deter conflict-hinge on maneuver.

And maneuver depends on TRANSCOM.

You can see the power of maneuver across the Indo-Pacific, which is of course our priority theater.

And last summer, during Exercise Mobility Guardian 23, TRANSCOM worked with allies and partners from across the region at an unprecedented scale, involving some 70 cargo and refueling aircraft from seven different countries.

And this spring, cargo aircraft moved an Army Typhon missile battery from Washington State to the Philippines-some 8,000 miles away-in only 15 hours.

And so, day in and day out, TRANSCOM sustains our forces worldwide.

This Department cannot keep America safe without you.

TRANSCOM is the secret to our ability to project, to maneuver, and to sustain our forces-anywhere in the world.

So thanks for everything that you have done-and delivered.

TRANSCOM, you are the best.

[Applause]

Now, this kind of success doesn't just happen.

It is the direct result of the skill and dedication of the men and women of this command, and your outstanding commander, General Jackie Van Ovost.

You know, Jackie, we go way back to your days of flying C-141s, and my days of jumping out of C-141s.

One of these days, we've got to go back and compare log books to see if I ever jumped out of one of your airplanes.

You see, I'm still looking for the people who put me in the trees.

[Laughter]

Now, I stopped jumping out of airplanes a while ago. But Jackie, you have kept right on flying them.

You've always been at home in the sky. But getting there wasn't easy.

As you have said, you've always tried to make the path wider-with more opportunity, and with fewer barriers.

And 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."

And Jackie, every time that you encountered an obstacle, you kept at it.

You've been open about how the Air Force Academy didn't admit you when you first applied.

But you kept at it.

You enrolled in community college and buffed up your grades. And you installed a pull-up bar in your home and worked on those too. And then you applied again. And you more than earned your admission.

Though maybe, just maybe, you should have considered West Point.

[Laughter]

Just saying, I mean we could have taught you to fly helicopters.

But no, you wanted to fly fighter jets. And you wanted to fly Mach 2.

But back then, women weren't allowed to fly fighters. So once again, you made the path wider. And you became a test pilot. And you flew more than 30 aircraft, including F-15s and F-16s.

And over your distinguished career, you've been an outstanding pilot, an outstanding mentor, and an outstanding leader.

You have consistently showed the power of listening, the power of inclusion, and the power of teamwork.

And you've helped to launch the next generation of American military leaders towards the sky.

Now, General, you've been fortunate to have a phenomenal team by your side.

Your parents ran an aviation business, which sparked your love of flying. And they even gave you your first flying job, which was towing advertising banners over the Florida beaches.

And it's great to see your dad, Hans, and your sisters Ingrid and Yvonne here today. Great to see you guys again.

And as the Chairman pointed out, your mother, Joy, is no longer with us. But we can easily imagine how proud she was of you.

You've helped raise four girls: Tracy, Kristen, Rebecca, and Megan. And I know that they're cheering you on from afar.

And I especially want to thank your husband, Alan.

He's been with you through it all. Through move after move. Through your most demanding deployments.

And after retiring from the Air Force himself, he built a second career in the aviation industry. And in his volunteer work, he's helped build support networks for fellow military spouses.

So Alan, thank you for your own tremendous service and all of your sacrifices.

[Applause]

You know, General Van Ovost, your teammates describe you in the most glowing of terms.

They say that you're one of the best leaders that they've ever served under. And they say that they always want to do their very best work-because you always do the same.

You bring out excellence in your warfighting team. And you do it the old-fashioned way: by being the best.

And so Jackie, you've set an extraordinary example throughout your extraordinary career-for every woman and every man in the United States military.

You've often said that, "It's hard to be what you cannot see." Well, America looks at General Jackie Van Ovost-and sees a leader.

Jackie, thank you for your 36 years of tremendous service. And congratulations on your very well-earned retirement.

[Applause]

And so today, we pass command of TRANSCOM to General Randall Reed.

Randall, as I told you earlier, you are the right person for this job.

And I'm delighted that your parents are here today as well. Moses and Marsha, thank you for teaching your son the values of patriotism and giving back. And Moses, I know that you're a retired Air Force Master Sergeant-so thanks for your example of service.

General, let me also welcome your wife, Lynn. Lynn, it's great to see you again.

Lynn, thanks for all that you've done to support Randall's service, and for your advocacy on behalf of service members.

And I know that your sons-Christopher, and Gabriel, and Alexander-all wish that they could be here with you today.

Now, General Reed, you're also an accomplished pilot. And like General Van Ovost, you also got your start flying C-141s.

You know, we don't have very many former C-141 pilots left on active duty. In fact, I think most of them are sitting right behind me!

[Laughter]

But General Reed, you've done it all. You commanded an air-refueling squadron in Central Asia, an Expeditionary Operations Group in the Middle East, and Third Air Force in Germany.

And most recently, you were the Deputy Commander of Air Mobility Command. And so you know how it feels to be a TRANSCOM provider, and a TRANSCOM customer.

So General, thanks for stepping up once more.

And I know that you will absolutely excel.

And I know that you will take this great warfighting team and make it even better.

And I know that you will keep TRANSCOM moving forward.

So let's have a round of applause for Randall and his family.

[Applause]

I want to close by just saying thanks once more to the superb professionals of TRANSCOM, all around the world.

Thanks for serving our country.

Thanks for defending our values.

And thanks for ensuring that the United States has the most combat-ready fighting force in the entire world.

You move the U.S. military.

And you move heaven and earth.

And I am deeply proud to be your teammate.

May God bless you, and your families.

May God bless our troops.

And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Thank you very much.

[Applause]

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