Female Battle Manager Appointed as CINCPACAF

[ORAC]

The White House has picked the first female general to head the Air Force in the Pacific, which will make her the first non-pilot to command air power in such a large theater of operation.

The Pentagon announced this week that Air Force Lt. Gen. Lori J. Robinson (http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108119/lieutenant-general-lori-j-robinson.aspx) has been nominated for promotion to four-star general and as commander of Pacific Air Forces, the Air Force component of U.S. Pacific Command. It is a major combatant command whose air, ground and naval forces have broad responsibility for security in the Asia-Pacific region. Her nomination was sent to the Senate for confirmation.......

Gen. Robinson is not a career pilot. Her military profession is air battle manager. She has served aboard the Air Force’s surveillance aircraft, the E-3 AWACs and E-8 JSTARS, and she was nominated for a promotion amid a drive for more diversity in the Pentagon.......

Gen. Robinson is now vice commander of Air Force Air Combat Command, which oversees the service’s fleet of bombers and fighters, and maintains readiness.......

[Specaircrew]

Women and CINCs! ;-)

[Ken Scott]

Sounds like she has the right background & has flown during her career (just didn't drive) so I can't see any problem with this appointment - the head of Network Rail isn't a train driver. The management of air assets doesn't necessarily require you to have been a stick jockey.

[ORAC]

Auntie Joan will have a grin on her face wherever she is.....

[NutLoose]

and she was nominated for a promotion amid a drive for more diversity in the Pentagon.......

Maybe it's me, but whenever I see a statement like that, one wonders have they employed the best person for the job or simply employed someone to fill some PC quota.

[Wander00]

Bless Aunty Joan - she would have loved that appointment and have been first to applaud

[newt]

So where do they go from here? A woman president? So that's going to solve all our international problems?

Retiring to the bunker with flak jacket and whisky :ok:

[big v]

Aunty Joan would have walked it. I recall the ADOC in the old Bomber Command bunker at High Wycombe during an exercise. The place was stuffed full of keen Wg Cdrs etc and, as a young (ish) Flt Lt on a round tour, I had the opportunity of seeing Aunty Joan dominate the place. Watching the air defence war being sorted through clouds of cigarette smoke and in-your-face discussions was marvellous.

A very capable woman and an unfulfilled talent.

RIP.

Vernon

[Wander00]

Working for Aunty Joan at Neatishead was one of the best 18 mths of my (second) RAF career

[ORAC]

SI36_iEtOS8

[Wander00]

ORAC- that has taken me back 30 years - Aunty Joan was very good to Mrs W and me when we were getting married - and 30th Anniversary is on Monday. I shall watch that with great pleasure

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

I never knew or met the lady but after watching that I wish I had.:ok:

[RAFEngO74to09]

ORAC,

Thanks for posting the Neatishead video - I had never seen that. Having spent 6 years on the Phantom it was interesting to see a bit more of the equipment and procedures in the ADGE bunkers of that era. I had heard legends about "Aunty Joan" but had no idea what she looked like or how she worked. I recognized a few of the F-4 aircrew looking very young !

I would have thought Lt Gen Robinson's performance as Vice Commander of USAF ACC will have served as an exceptionally good validation regarding her suitability for the next step up of being a theater component commander.

[Whenurhappy]

So the US have gone back to using the term 'CinC'? I thought that changed in 2002/3 to COM eg CINCUSNAVEUR (4* for whom I worked for) became COMUSNAVEUR etc, on the basis that there is only one CinC - POTUS.


Good luck to the General in very challenging times in the PACRIM area...

[Two's in]

So where do they go from here? A woman president? So that's going to solve all our international problems?

Good point, how on earth could a woman possibly match up to the stellar performances we are seeing from the current male world leaders...

[Surplus]

Julia Gillard, the defence rests.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Whenurhappy,

You're right - COMPACAF is the correct title. The current one is going to be Commander HQ ACC:

http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/104764/general-herbert-j-hawk-carlisle.aspx

[Heathrow Harry]

"Julia Gillard, the defence rests."

TBH most women leaders of countries have been a damn sight tougher than their wimpish male predecessors and successors

Mrs T
Golda Meir,
Mrs Bandaranaike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirimavo_Bandaranaike)
Mrs Gandhi
The two dreadful harridans who run Bangladesh on and off
The lovely Mrs Mao
Evita
Mrs Mandela

all very tough indeed

[ORAC]

Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria didn't do badly, compared to their male predecessors and successors. And the present incumbent hasn't made a bad stick of it either.....

[big v]

Boudicca didn't get the top job but she dealt quite well with local problems. Mind you, I bet she was a bit scary.

[Al R]

Cat -> pigeons -> go.

Americans Think Women, People With Business Experience Govern Better - The Numbers - WSJ (http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/americans-think-women-people-with-business-experience-govern-better-1601/)

[TBM-Legend]

Joan of Arc too.....

[Surplus]

HH,

Good point, how on earth could a woman possibly match up to the stellar performances we are seeing from the current male world leaders...

my reply

Julia Gillard, the defence rests.

Just pointing out an example demonstrating that not all, recent, female politicians are Maggie Ts. In fact, she fit in nicely with the shambolic 'leaders' of recent years.

I never met Auntie Joan, but judging by the plaudits on here, she had the right stuff.

[sandiego89]

The Pentagon announced this week that Air Force Lt. Gen. Lori J. Robinson (http://apicdn.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=1e857e7500cdd32403f752206c297a3d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Fmilitary-aviation%2F543895-female-battle-manager-appointed-cincpacaf.html&out=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.af.mil%2FAboutUs%2FBiographies%2FDispla y%2Ftabid%2F225%2FArticle%2F108119%2Flieutenant-general-lori-j-robinson.aspx&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Fnewreply.php%3Fdo%3Dnewrep ly%26amp%3Bp%3D8570587%26amp%3Bnoquote%3D1) has been nominated for promotion to four-star general

That bio defintiely reads like someone that has been groomed for years, all the right schools, stints as aide, command briefer, high-profile staff tours, etc. Not saying that as a negative, undoubtedly recognized early as bright and moving forward. I do wonder how many flight hours a career flight controller in AWACS/J-STARS averages? Does 900+ of flight hours seem "light" as many of those missions last long hours? Likely she had more staff/aide/school/command tours than your average career squadron controller/radar jockey. Well done General.

[Wander00]

ORAC - thanks again for the Neatishead video - just watched it through - must have been made just before I went to Neatishead as OC Admin Sqn in April 84. A great tour with two very good Staishes - Aunty Joan and Don Read, ex 111 Sqn boss.

[trap one]

sandiego89
In my humble opinion, yes she is very light on the hours. My total of 73.05 on the OCU was just for a WC add those and then her upgrade to MCC would average about 150. Yes she has done all the schools, Exec posts, Standards and OC posts but her experience to me is light. However as long as she would listen to her experts then I suspect she will be a very round peg in a round hole for todays Air Force's. Having worked for Auntie Joan, :ok: I know who I would wish to work for/emulate in a career path.

[Wrathmonk]

I'm sure I read on this very forum board that a former CAS (Craig?) had barely 1000hrs in his log book.

Edit - see this link (http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/189558-secondary-duties.html#post2084921), my error - it appears Craig tried to get 1000 hours in a two year tour (I assume as it was a 'PN' post it was when a Vulcan CO) but mention is made of a different CAS with <1500hrs total (presumably after a minimum of flying training, a junta tour, flt cdr tour, sqn cdr tour plus the odd hour as a stn cdr). Still not much given the hours that were available 'way back then'!