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Ronald Ellis Keys |
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Engagements: • Vietnam War (1960 - 1973) |
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Biography: | ||||
Ronald Ellis Keys General, U.S. Air Force Ronald Ellis Keys was born on 3 February 1945. As a distinguished graduate of Kansas State University's AFROTC program, Keys, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1967. He was also an outstanding graduate of undergraduate pilot training. He has commanded a fighter squadron; the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School; an F-15 wing; an A/OA-10 and F-16 wing; the Combat Air Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Wing; a numbered air force; and Allied Air Forces Southern Europe. Additionally, Keys was the first Commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center, and served as an Executive Assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff and to an Assistant Secretary of Defense. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. In 2002, Keys was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard B. Myers' choice to succeed Lieutenant General Gregory S. Newbold as Director of Operations (J-3) for the Joint Staff. By long-standing tradition, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had been allowed to select his own top subordinates, but Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld adopted a sharply different practice of personally interviewing all candidates for three- and four-star rank. Rumsfeld vetoed Keys' appointment after two interviews, forcing Myers to select Lieutenant General Norton A. Schwartz instead. The failure of Keys' nomination was subsequently recounted by senior military officers as an illustration of strained civilian-military relations at the Pentagon under Rumsfeld's leadership. On 27 May 2005, Keys was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as Commander, Air Combat Command (COMACC). In this command, Keys was responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense. ACC operates more than 1,100 aircraft, 25 wings, 15 bases and more than 200 operating locations worldwide with 105,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 800 aircraft and 57,000 people to Air Combat Command. As the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics and procedures for air and space power employment. The command provides conventional, nuclear and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. ACC can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities. On 30 August 2007, personnel under his command mistakenly, and without authorization, transported six live nuclear warheads from Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base in the 2007 U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons incident. The event was the first recorded mishandling of nuclear weapons in the U.S. in more than 30 years. General Keys retired effective 1 November 2007. During his service, he became a Command Pilot with over 4,000 flying hours, including more than 300 hours of combat time in Southeast Asia. His flight hours were accumulated in A-10, F-4, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. Education 1967 Bachelor's degree in Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 1971 Squadron Officer School 1974 Air Command and Staff College 1978 Master's degree in Business Administration, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA 1988 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL Assignments •
June 1967 - July 1968, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, TX.
Promotion Dates Second Lieutenant - 4 June 1967 First Lieutenant - 4 December 1968 Captain - 4 June 1970 Major - 1 March 1979 Lieutenant Colonel - 1 November 1981 Colonel - 1 November 1986 Brigadier General - 15 July 1994 Major General - 1 July 1997 Lieutenant General - 1 July 2000 General - 27 May 2005 Medals and Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2 Awards) Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2 Awards) Distinguished Flying Cross (2 Awards) Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (6 Awards) Air Medal (17 Awards) Air Force Commendation Medal (2 Awards) Combat Readiness Medal (4 Awards) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Badges Command Pilot Badge |
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Honoree ID: 760 | Created by: MHOH |
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