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General Lorenz to retire

  • Published
  • By Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Air Force announced May 10 that the highest ranking Airman in Air Education and Training Command will retire after 37 years of service.

Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz spent the last two years providing combat-focused training to every Airman entering the Air Force while leading the "First Command." With an emphasis on innovation, he watched the command morph into a force capable of training more than 340,000 students per year using the most advanced training technologies and platforms.

Responsibility for Air Force recruiting, training and educating through innovation will go to Lt. Gen. Edward A. Rice, Jr., currently serving as U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander, Yokota Air Base, Japan. He was nominated by President Barack Obama March 17 to be the Air Force's next four-star general.

He is a 1978 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours. As commander, 28th Air Expeditionary Wing, he commanded bomber operations during the first four months of Operation Enduring Freedom.

General Rice returns to AETC after commanding Air Force Recruiting Service from May 2002 to January 2004. Prior to his current assignment, he was vice commander, Pacific Air Forces.

Further information on the change of command and retirement will be released as it becomes available.