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618th TACC says farewell to General Solo, welcomes General Cox as new commander

  • Published
  • By Capt. Justin Brockhoff
  • 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, Air Mobility Command's hub for worldwide airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacation, received new leadership as Maj. Gen. Mark Solo relinquished command to Brig. Gen. Samuel Cox during a change of command ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, today.

General Solo, who led the 618th TACC since June 2008, will take command of 19th Air Force, headquartered at Randolph AFB, Texas, where he will be responsible for training U.S. and allied students to become fully qualified aircrew members before moving into operational units. General Cox comes to the 618th TACC from his former post as the Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was responsible for military, character, and leadership development and training for 4,400 cadets.

The 618th TACC, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., schedules and directs a fleet of nearly 1,300 mobility aircraft in support of strategic airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation operations around the world. As a global Air and Space Operations Center, the 618th TACC is also heavily engaged in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, ensuring the swift and reliable deployment, re-deployment, and sustainment of U.S. and coalition forces.

The ceremony took place in front of a packed crowd, where 618th TACC members hailed General Cox's arrival as their new commander and said farewell to General Solo as they honored his contributions to global mobility operations.

"I couldn't be more proud of the men and women at the 618th TACC for the impact they make every single day," said General Solo. "It's been my honor to be your commander for the last two years. I've seen you deliver aid to hurricane and earthquake victims, and I've seen you save lives by aeromedically evacuating wounded warriors from the battlefield to definitive care. I've also seen the volunteerism and dedication of our active-duty, Air Reserve Component, civilian and contract personnel, who often put personal lives on hold to ensure we accomplish the mission, whether that means re-routing an airlifter to pickup high-priority cargo or vectoring a tanker to a rendezvous point to extend our Air Force's reach around the globe."

While under General Solo's command, the 618th TACC was responsible for more than 251,000 sorties, moving over 4.2 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo to worldwide locations. The 618th TACC also performed more than 40,000 aeromedical evacuation patient movements and delivered more than 632 million pounds of gas via air-to-air refueling during General Solo's tenure.

"I know the 618th TACC will be in good hands with General Cox at the controls," added General Solo. "General, you're inheriting an AOC at war. You'll get those important phone calls in the middle of the night for a decision effecting support to the warfighter, and you'll get that 'we're going to be even busier' feeling when you see the initial reports of a natural disaster on TV. But trust me when I say all of the long hours that go into this position are worth it, and you're taking over a fantastic team that never rests until the job is done."

General Cox comes to the 618th TACC with a distinguished and extensive background in air mobility operations. As a young officer and airlift pilot, the general flew multiple C-141 airland, airdrop and special operations missions in support of Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm. Following his first operational tour, he served on the AMC staff, first in the tactics and training division and then the plans and programs division. Later, as a squadron commander at Charleston AFB, S.C., General Cox led the 14th Airlift Squadron to be recognized as the best airlift squadron in AMC and went on to be the Deputy Commander of the 437th Operations Group. General Cox then served as the 436th Airlift Wing commander at Dover AFB. During this assignment he deployed to Southwest Asia as the Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, responsible for coordinating all air mobility operations in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

"I'm excited to have the opportunity be a part of the 618th TACC and the role this organization plays to keep the air mobility machine moving," said General Cox. "The essential planning and execution for every global airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation mission starts here, and the associated responsibility is simply amazing. I couldn't ask for a better assignment, because the missions orchestrated by the TACC have and will continue to make a positive impact around the world."

General Cox also emphasized the importance of 618th TACC personnel working hand-in-hand with AMC's aircrews, maintenance experts, aerial porters and missions support specialists in the field to keep operations running smoothly.

"The work we will do together is as integral to the mission as pushing throttles or being on the flight line," added the general. "I look forward to being an advocate for air mobility forces as they operate around the globe and helping them safely and effectively accomplish the mission. I'm honored to be your new commander, and humbled by the scope and importance of what you do every day."