Bye Bye Doc!!

[M2]

From today's Stars & Stripes...

Air Force’s tech chief to command USAFE

Senate confirms appointment of newly promoted Gen. Hobbins

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The Air Force’s top information technology chief will become the new commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The promotion of Lt. Gen. Tom Hobbins to general and the Air Force’s top job in Europe was confirmed by the Senate on Friday, according to Jennifer Stephens, an Air Force spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

The confirmation came a day after Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services committee, officially placed the nomination on the Senate Executive Calendar. President Bush nominated Hobbins to the post in July.

It is unknown when Hobbins would replace Gen. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. Once confirmed, top Air Force officers typically move into their new position within a year, Stephens wrote in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.

Hobbins, who has more than 36 years of service, is an F-15 pilot who was previously stationed at USAFE headquarters at Ramstein Air Base as director of operations between 1998 and 2000. His official title in Washington is deputy chief of staff for Warfighting Integration for Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and acting chief of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer for the Office of the Air Force Secretary in Washington.

Foglesong, who has commanded USAFE since August 2003, reportedly plans to retire at the end of his tour and start a foundation for college-bound students in his home state of West Virginia.

Capt. Jonathan Friedman, a USAFE spokesman, said Friday there has been no official announcement from the Air Force in regards to Foglesong’s plans and when he will leave the top post.

USAFE is considered a major command with 16 bases spread throughout the region and consists of 73,000 people, including 26,000 active-duty airmen. In addition to being the top Air Force officer in Europe, the USAFE commander serves as NATO’s Allied Air Component Command commander and U.S. European Command’s air component commander.

During his career, Hobbins has led two tactical fighter wings and an air group. As the commander of Air Forces Iceland in the late 1980s, the composite wing he led intercepted 80 Soviet bomber aircraft in nine months, according to his official biography.

When he was the USAFE director of operations, Hobbins was responsible for the planning and execution of combat forces in Europe for NATO airstrikes against Serbian targets in 1999.

This May, he assumed his current job and took over a new organization created to merge the Air Force’s three information technology organizations.

Hobbins was the USAFE/DO back in the late 90's...I can't recall too much about him but I don't think he was too bad of a dude. Of course, anyone would look good after Doc...

Cheers! M2

[M2]

By the way, isn't it nice that the S&S refers to Hobbins as "the AF's tech chief" when he is a command pilot with more than 4200 hrs, primarily in fighters... :rolleyes:

Cheers! M2

[Mambo]

So what are the odds that Hobbins is going to get rid of all the "Combat Stupid" programs? Or will he leave them in-place, believing that they are actually improving morale, or as one of those 'legacy' things for Doc.

[Toro]

That's all I've got for Doc

[Guest lovelacm]

I'm Combat Thrilled to see Doc head back to Mingo, WV for retirement. He's earned a break from the combat rigors of being Combat Proud on the Combat Flightline, while driving all the USAFE personnel combat crazy and driving the combat budget into the combat red. I Combat Care deeply and am Combat Touched that he wants to start his own Project Wizard back home... perhaps he can attend some combat football games and start another Project Cheer!

Time for some combat breakfast here, followed by some combat NFL football.

Cheers!

Linda

[M2]

Originally posted by Mambo:

So what are the odds that Hobbins is going to get rid of all the "Combat Stupid" programs? Or will he leave them in-place, believing that they are actually improving morale, or as one of those 'legacy' things for Doc.

I doubt he would keep any of that crap, the first thing any sane person would do is dump it! There are some Ramstein bubbas here in Stuttgart for this exercise, they are wearing those "Bring Your Courage" bozo hats. I suspect there will be a mass burning of that shit once the change-of-command has taken place!

I read a rumor a while back that Doc is thinking about running for govenor for West Virginia...you'd think those people would know better, but apparantly they haven't been subjected to all of his AFN commercials. It is one nice thing about being billeted off base in Germany...no ****ing "All Fogelsong Network!"

Cheers! M2

[Guest thebronze]

I think we have a quorum!

It's official: Doc's a Douche.

+1 on for doc!