Donley officially sworn in as Secretary of the Air Force

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates officially swore in Michael B. Donley as the Secretary of the Air Force Oct. 17 at the Air Force Memorial.

In his speech, Secretary Donley said he's honored to serve as the senior civilian leader of the Air Force and looks forward to the challenges of the position.

"To the men and women of the Air Force, to its many stakeholders, and to all who know and love this tremendous institution, I commit to you my full energies during my term of office as the 22nd Secretary of the United States Air Force," Secretary Donley said. "It is my honor and privilege to accept this appointment as Secretary of the Air Force. I am grateful to once again be serving with the finest Air Force in the world."

In the coming days, the Air Force will face several issues, but is prepared to tackle any obstacle, he said.

"As the Air Force looks forward, the possibilities are unlimited," Secretary Donley said. "We are making great strides in strengthening our nuclear enterprise and restoring acquisition excellence, and there is absolutely no question that America's Airmen are 'all in' for today's joint and coalition fight."

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz was the presiding official for the ceremony.

"Today we celebrate Secretary Donley's virtuous character, strong leadership, and personal example of our Air Force core values," General Schwartz said. "It is a privilege to have Secretary Donley lead our Air Force as we go through these important times."

His leadership has reinforced the standards of performance, ethics and accountability necessary for us to continue our heritage of excellence, General Schwartz added.

Secretary Donley has more than 30 years of experience in the national security community, including service in the Senate, White House and the Pentagon. In his most recent position, he was responsible for Washington Headquarters Services, a 1,300-employee entity that oversees management of the Pentagon and Department of Defense services within the National Capital Region, and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Secretary Donley, who was acting Secretary of the Air Force for seven months in 1993 and served as the service's top financial officer from 1989 to 1993, also served on the National Security Council and was a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee in the early 1980s.

He served in the Army's 18th Airborne Corps and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from 1972 to 1975. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in international relations from the University of Southern California.