Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei was appointed as the 14th commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory during a change of command ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday.
Bartolomei succeeds Maj. Gen. Scott Cain, who has held the role of AFRL commander since June 2023, the Air Force said Friday.
During the ceremony, Air Force Materiel Command Commander Gen. Duke Richardson spoke on Bartolomei bringing operational laboratory experience to the AFRL.
“AFRL is trying to build that affordable, competitive, continuous pipeline of technologies that we can then put into programs of record and field, and that’s really the focus, General Bartolomei, of your tenure as you take on the lab,” said Richardson.
“I do think that this is the job you were meant for,” Richardson said to Bartolomei. “All of the jobs that you’ve been doing have been leading to this one.”
Bartolomei previously worked as the program executive officer for weapons and director of the Armament Directorate at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He managed a $92 billion weapons portfolio while facilitating all lifecycle programs for air-delivered artilleries.
Bartolomei emphasized his appreciation for being part of a unit as a driving factor in taking on a new commander role of AFRL’s team.
“I love being connected to others, and I really love doing something bigger than myself. I like to learn and grow,” Bartolomei stated. “I’m pretty sure that’s why I love the Air Force so much, and actually, I think this is why I have grown so excited about joining AFRL.”