SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. —
Air Force Gen. Randall Reed assumed leadership of U.S. Transportation Command from Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost today. During the ceremony, Reed stressed USTRANSCOM is the leading warfighting entity in the Defense Department, from delivering aid to combat power.
“Make no mistake,” Reed said, “the work we must do now to deter growing threats is serious and demands a sense of urgency. Nevertheless, we will never shy from the contested environment.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III presided over the event and praised the command for all it has done and continues to do to bolster freedom and security globally.
“When crisis strikes,” Austin said, “… the ability to move comes first [and] when America calls, TRANSCOM moves out. You know, we’ve asked a lot of you over the past three years. You have delivered. And you have made history.”
“Now, this kind of success doesn’t just happen,” he continued. “It’s the direct result of the skill and dedication of the men and women of this command and [the leadership] of General Jackie Van Ovost.”
During Van Ovost’s tenure at USTRANSCOM, she led a total force team of more than 120,000 military, civilians, and contractors and three service component commands and one joint subordinate command that together fulfill USTRANSCOM’s joint mobility mission by air, sea, and land.
Since January 2022, USTRANSCOM has delivered over 3 million pieces of material to Ukraine, including ammunition, air defense systems, armored fighting vehicles, and more. Later that same year, the president appointed USTRANSCOM as the Defense Department’s single manager for global fuel management and delivery, ensuring the joint force is fueled for a large-scale conflict. The command also reformed its Defense Personal Property Program to better service military members and their families during permanent change of station moves.
“Day in and day out,” Austin said, “TRANSCOM sustains our forces worldwide. This department cannot keep America safe without you.”
On any day, USTRANSCOM has more than 100 railcars, 30 ships, and 1,500 trucks delivering cargo. And about every two minutes, the combatant command has planes taking off or landing worldwide — hauling supplies, refueling aircraft, or moving patients.
“Wherever you see American forces,” Van Ovost said, “TRANSCOM not only puts them there but provides the continuous sustainment required to maintain operations.
“Over the past three years,” she continued, “I challenged [the USTRANSCOM team] to improve readiness, build and empower teammates, defend and improve the Cyber domain, and drive towards Decision Advantage. You delivered that and so much more.”
Reed said he is “inspired” by the command’s work and, as the former Air Mobility Command deputy commander, he has experience as a USTRANSCOM provider and customer.
Reed is the 15th commander of USTRANSCOM, one of 11 combatant commands in the Department of Defense. USTRANSCOM is a unified functional combatant command which provides support to the ten other U.S. combatant commands, the military services, defense agencies and other government organizations.
He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989. During Reed’s career, the general held a variety of joint, headquarters, and base-level positions, including assignments in strategic airlift, special operations air refueling, and joint logistics spanning Operation Desert Storm to Operation Allies Refuge. He also served as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché in Ankara, Türkiye.
“No matter the crisis, no matter the hour,” Reed said, “you can depend on the men and women of U.S Transportation Command for one simple reason: Together, we deliver!”
