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OC-ALC under new leadership

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center will persevere. Maj. Gen. Bruce Litchfield, OC-ALC commander, said he's sure of it.

At the OC-ALC change of command ceremony Nov. 10, General Litchfield, who succeeded Maj. Gen. David Gillett, addressed concerns regarding recent news of the Air Force Materiel Command and air logistics centers' reorganization. He assured the nearly 1,000 attendees the center will be OK.

"Tinker, like our sister organizations at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is a strategic asset. Working as a team, we can preserve the readiness our warfighters need while our defense dollars decline," said General Litchfield. "To meet the Air Force needs in the future, we're going to have to step it up, ensure we're relevant and stretch to reach our full potential.

"If we think about this as climbing a mountain, we've made it to base camp. The trail ahead is steep, but the hike will be exciting," he said. "The bottom line is we're going to get our giddy-up going."

General Litchfield is a well-known Tinker leader. He arrived at Tinker in January 2009 as brigadier general and led the 76th Maintenance Wing. In November 2010, he earned his second star and was promoted to a major general. This past April, he turned the 76th MXW reins over to a new commander and accepted a position as special assistant to the AFMC commander, based at Tinker.

AFMC Commander Gen. Donald Hoffman said that as his special assistant General Litchfield has a comprehensive understanding of the reorganization issues and how to keep the OC-ALC as a thriving entity.

"We had plenty of choices in picking who would succeed General Gillett and we picked the best," said General Hoffman, who was the presiding officer over the change of command ceremony. "General Litchfield is no stranger at all to the air logistics center. He started his career 30 years ago in an air logistics center and he's been back multiple times. He's also had a unique career path in that he's back and forth between what we call the sustainment side of the house and operations side of the house."

General Litchfield's predecessor, General Gillett, served as the center commander for nearly three years.

"Team Tinker is about people, the mission and teamwork," said General Gillett. "The people of this center and our associate units are clearly a strategic asset to the Air Force and our nation. You're dedicated, technically qualified and innovative, and that's quite a combination."

"From the day I took command, I never had to remind any of you that your work is important because most of the time you were telling me," General Gillett said. "My commitment to you has been that I do everything in my power to enable you to be more effective. As a result of your commitment, we've achieved significant mission results."
Immediately following the change of command, a retirement ceremony was held for General Gillett, in which he received several certificates, commendations and a Distinguished Service Medal -- first oak leaf cluster.

"Dave, you've got a lot to be proud of," General Hoffman said. "As an air logistics center commander, you took a great opportunity and seized it, and you took this organization to new heights of excellence."