The Arkansas Leader

Commanders on the moveFree Access


During a change-of-command ceremony on Thursday, Little Rock Air Force Base commander Col. Gerald Donohue will hand the guidon to Col. John Schutte, who is now vice commander of the 314th Airlift Wing.

Donohue has led the 19th Airlift Wing for two years and is headed for a job at the Pentagon. His son, Gerald, was salutatorian of this year’s Jacksonville High School graduation class.

As commander, the colonel has been responsible for organizing, training and equipping the personnel who operate and maintain more than 65 C-130 aircraft. The wing provides combat-ready forces around the world.

Donohue wished the community farewell in a letter to The Leader on Wednesday, saying the future of the air base is secure thanks to its dedicated airmen and the supportive community.

“My time at Little Rock Air Force Base as the installation commander is ending,” Donohue wrote in his heartfelt letter.

“And while there is always sadness at saying goodbye, there are two things specifically that comfort me as my family prepares to head out to our next assignment: First, that the men and women of Little Rock AFB will continue the tireless work of providing our nation’s tactical airlift capability from right here in central Arkansas, and second, that they will be backed by what is the most supportive community in our command.

“And that’s not just me saying it. Our communities were recognized this year with the Abilene Trophy for the most outstanding support to our airmen and their families,” Donohue wrote, referring to central Arkansas winning the coveted Abilene Trophy for the third time in 10 years. The trophy is presented to the community that demonstrates, over the previous year, the best support of its Air Mobility Command military installation.

As Donohue moves to the Pentagon, he is leaving the 19th Airlift Wing in the capable hands of Col. Schutte, who commands the training wing just down the road from the 19th AW. The colonel’s promotion is well deserved.

The 314th AW’s mission is to train C-130 aircrews from across the Department of Defense and 47 partner nations. His assignments include operational and staff tours in Europe, the Pentagon, Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

Schutte has participated in Operations Joint Forge, Joint Guardian, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and the Pan Sahel Initiative, among others. He was a Ph.D. student at Princeton University in New Jersey before coming to Little Rock Air Force Base in 2017. Schutte is a senior navigator with more than 1,600 flight hours.

As we have said many times before, the Air Force always sends us its best. That tradition continues with Col. Donohue and Col. Schutte.

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