First Army commander named for USTRANSCOM at Scott Air Force Base
The Senate Armed Services Committee has confirmed U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, Joint Staff director for logistics, as the next commander of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base.
He will be the command’s first Army commander, as well as the Army’s first logistician combatant commander.
A change of command ceremony will take place Aug. 24 at the Scott Air Force Base Parade Field. U.S. Air Force Gen. Darren W. McDew, current USTRANSCOM commander, will retire following the ceremony.
“Lt. Gen. Lyons is a rare soldier, officer, and leader. As our joint warfighting enterprise continues to evolve in today’s unique environment, Lyons’ expertise will surely enable the continued advancement of our command. Having commanded at every level from company to major subordinate command, and previously serving as USTRANSCOM’s deputy commander, he is up to the crucial task of leading the 144,000-strong USTRANSCOM team. Everyone across the command and the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise will benefit from his direction and leadership,” said McDew.
USTRANSCOM is a global combatant command and the transportation provider for the Department of Defense. USTRANSCOM moves and sustains the military force and operates the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise. It establishes an equilibrium between the capability and capacity required to meet emerging threats and regularly using the vast network of routes to expand and maintain access to assets and infrastructure. In doing so, it provides the president options to build combat power and deliver national objectives at the time and place of his choosing.
Additionally, USTRANSCOM ensures the well-being of the joint force by providing aero-medical transportation for ill or injured personnel in peace and war.
PHOTO: U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, center), Joint Staff director for logistics, talks with U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Dixon Smith, right, deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics during the USTRANSCOM Joint Deployment and Distribution Executive Board June 3. (Photo by Rob Wieland USTRANSCOM/PA)
