Gen. John Lamontagne accepted the role of commander of the Air Mobility Command at a ceremony held at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, on Sept. 9.
Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force, spearheaded the AMC change of command ceremony alongside several other mobility leaders to welcome Lamontagne, the Air Force said Wednesday.
“I could not be more proud to be here today and sharing this stage with these great mobility leaders and be a part of this passing of the baton to keep this air mobility machine moving. The country depends on it, and [Americans] can depend on it,” Allvin emphasized
The appointment comes simultaneously with the Air Force’s declaration to undergo a reorganization in preparation for great power competition.
Prior to taking on the AMC commander role, Lamontagne served as the deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa. In this role, Lamontagne gained experience implementing strategic mobility and readiness across numerous environments.
Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command and 2024 Wash100 Award winner, said Lamontagne’s prior leadership experience should benefit the AMC’s global engagements.
“Members of AMC, you are gaining a tremendous leader who is ready to build upon your legacy and recent successes,” Van Ovost said to the room of airmen.
In leading the command, Lamontagne will manage a total force numbering 107,000 airmen and over 1,100 aircraft. Lamontagne said he looks forward to leading the men and women throughout the AMC as the Air Force aims to gain an advantage in the global warfighting landscape.
“To the men and women of Air Mobility Command, we stand here today on the shoulders of giants that have preceded us both personally and organizationally… it is a long proud legacy,” said Lamontagne, in his inaugural remarks as AMC commander. “Some things have changed, and some things have not… Our nation and our predecessors possess an asymmetric advantage, and that asymmetric advantage is the ability to project power anywhere in the world at the time and place of our choosing. And only this command can do it!”