Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
6/12/2015
Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson will assume the position of Deputy Commander of U.S. Strategic Command “at the end of July,” as current Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. James Kowalski retires, a STRATCOM spokesperson told NS&D Monitor. The nomination of Wilson, who has commanded Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) since October 2013, was announced on March 17, and the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed him 10 days later. STRATCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell also said that, while Kowalski’s official retirement date is set for Sept. 1, a ceremony will be held July 20.
In a statement to NS&D Monitor, Kowalski thanked his fellow soldiers for their hard work. "It has been a tremendous privilege to serve with the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Civilians of U.S. Strategic Command. They work hard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year in and year out, to detect, deter and prevent strategic attacks against the United States and our allies,” he wrote. “As I leave this command, I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished over the past year and a half. I’m also encouraged by the renewed emphasis our nation has placed on our nuclear enterprise and other vital strategic forces, such as space operations, cyberspace operations, and missile defense.”
Wilson Initiated Force Improvement Programs
Wilson will start his position at STRATCOM after leading nuclear airmen through a challenging period that drew national scrutiny to the command. After an internal investigation uncovered cheating by Malmstrom AFB missileers on monthly proficiency tests, Wilson initiated the Force Improvement Program (FIP), a batch of initiatives aimed at increasing morale, national attention and investments for the nuclear enterprise. The FIP includes increased incentive pay for certain nuclear airmen, addresses gaps in day-to-day equipment employed by the command, and attempts to place less emphasis on perfecting the mission and more on focus and enthusiasm for it. Wilson has “been dedicated to ensuring our Airmen in the field have the training, equipment, professional development, and support they need to perform the deter & assure mission day in and day out,” AFGSC spokesperson Lt. Col. John Sheets wrote in a March email to NS&D Monitor.
