Third Air Force vice commander gets second star

  • Published
  • By Maj. John Haynes
  • 3rd Air Force Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 3rd Air Force vice commander, who is the senior U.S. Air Force representative to Her Majesty's government, was promoted to major general during a ceremony here today.

Maj. Gen. Jack B. Egginton received his second star in front of about 40 people, including family, friends, colleagues and British community leaders during the event. Lt. Gen. Robert D. Bishop, 3rd Air Force commander, presided over the ceremony.

After receiving the star, General Egginton discussed with U.S. and British attendees the importance of service to their respective nations.

"Whether you're the three-star Third Air Force commander, the mayor of Ely or the Airman carrying the flag today, we're here to serve our nation," he said. "We should be glad to serve in any capacity we can, and it's a privilege to serve beside those of you here today."

General Egginton also reflected on returning to the United Kingdom where he previously spent several years working at both the 3rd Air Force at RAF Mildenhall and the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in the mid 1990s.

"I picked up my wife at the airport the other day, and she was so excited to be heading back to the base here," he said. "We are so very happy to be back in the United Kingdom and back among our British hosts and friends."

Prior to pinning on General Egginton's new rank, General Bishop looked back on the many successes General Egginton achieved throughout his career, quoting former Secretaries of Defense and Air Force Chiefs of staff, who praised him as "the best the Air Force has to offer," and "the epitome of an officer and a gentleman."

General Bishop summed up his comments by saying, "No one is more deserving of a second star than Jack."

General Eggington began his current job as 3rd Air Force Vice Commander on Oct. 15. Prior to arriving here, he was Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. There he was responsible to the CENTCOM commander on all matters pertaining to the strategic and operational employment of assigned forces, as well as the conduct of joint and combined combat operations. He was also responsible for the coordination of all aspects of operations, to include air, ground, naval and special operations forces in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

General Egginton is a 1977 distinguished graduate of the University of Utah's Reserve Officer Training Corps program where he received his commission. He served on the Office of the Secretary of Defense staff and as the executive officer to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He has commanded at the group and wing levels, and was commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia, supporting operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. As the 379th AEW commander, General Egginton led the Air Force's largest air expeditionary wing, executing more than 90 combat and support aircraft and more than 6,000 coalition forces.

The general is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours, including 480 combat hours flying close air support for coalition ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.