Gen. Darren W. McDew was the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. USTRANSCOM is the single manager for global air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense.
General McDew was commissioned in 1982 following his graduation from Virginia Military Institute. He began his flying career at Loring AFB, Maine, and his staff assignments include serving as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Air Force aide to the President, Chief of the Air Force Senate Liaison Division and the Director of Air Force Public Affairs. General McDew served as Vice Director for strategic plans and policy for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the Commander of 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, and commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels as well as at an Air Force direct reporting unit. He deployed in support of ongoing operations in Central and Southwest Asia as an air expeditionary group Commander and later as the director of mobility forces. Prior to his current assignment, General McDew was the Commander of Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB.
EDUCATION
1982 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington City
1994 Master of Science, Aviation Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1996 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2000 National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship, Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, Calif.
2005 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2006 National Security Studies Program, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2008 Senior Joint Information Operations Application Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2011 Defense Policy Seminar, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2013 Pinnacle Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
2013 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2014 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1982 – October 1983, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. March 1984 – June 1989, Standardization and Evaluation Copilot, Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, 42nd Air Refueling Squadron, Loring AFB, Maine
3. July 1989 – June 1992, Combat Crew Training School Examiner and Instructor Pilot, Assistant Deputy Wing Inspector and Wing Executive Officer, 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle AFB, Calif.
4. July 1992 – April 1994, Rated Force Planner, Directorate of Personnel Plans; member, Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
5. April 1994 – June 1996, Air Force aide to the President, White House, Washington, D.C.
6. October 1996 – June 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
7. June 1997 – June 1999, Commander, 14th AS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
8. August 1999 – July 2000, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, Sun Microsystems Inc., Palo Alto, Calif.
9. July 2000 - January 2002, Commander, 62nd Operations Group, McChord AFB, Wash.
(September 2001 – December 2001, Commander, 60th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia)
10.January 2002 – July 2003, Commander, 375th Airlift Wing, and Installation Commander, Scott AFB, Ill.
11. July 2003 – January 2005, Chief, U.S. Air Force Senate Liaison Division, Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Va.
12. January 2005 – July 2006, Commander, 43rd AW, and Installation Commander, Pope AFB, N.C. (January 2006 - May 2006, Director of Mobility Forces, Southwest Asia)
13. July 2006 – November 2007, Vice Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.
14. November 2007 – February 2009, Director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. February 2009 – December 2010, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. December 2010 – August 2012, Commander, Air Force District of Washington, Andrews AFB, Md.
17. August 2012 – April 2014, Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.
18. May 2014 – August 2015, Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
19. August 2015 – present, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1994 – June 1996, Air Force Aide to the President, White House, Washington, D.C., as a major
2. February 2009 – December 2010, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general
3. August 2015 – August 2018, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, as a general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,300
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-38A, KC-135A/R, C-17A, C-141B, C-9, C-21, C-130E/H, C-37 and UH-1N
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two silver oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Boys and Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame
National Society of Black Engineers, Lifetime Achievement in Government
Vincent T. Hirsh Maritime Award for Outstanding Leadership, Navy League
Honorary Doctor of Public Administration, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
2018 Congressional Record: “Senate Tribute to General Darren W. McDew”
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 15, 1982
First Lieutenant May 15, 1984
Captain July 13, 1986
Major March 1, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1997
Colonel April 1, 2000
Brigadier General Sept. 2, 2006
Major General Dec. 9, 2008
Lieutenant General Aug. 6, 2012
General May 5, 2014
(Current as of April 2019)