LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --
Retired Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson was inducted into the Order of the Sword Sept. 13, 2018 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
Roberson was selected for this honor due to his unyielding devotion and care of Air Education and Training Command Airmen and their mission during his time as commander July 2015 to December 2017.
“Gen. Roberson has done some phenomenal things,” said Chief Master Sgt. Juliet Gudgel, command chief of AETC. “He secured the force development command for not only Air Education and Training Command but Airmen across the Air Force. He helped us move forward in new ways, to train, to educate and capture the experiences of our Airmen. The impact he is leaving on the Air Force is huge.”
The Order of the Sword was adopted by Air Force noncommissioned officers in 1967. The Order of the Sword was patterned after the Swedish Royal Order of the Sword with evidence of existence as early as 1522. This is the highest honor and tribute the Air Force enlisted corps can bestow upon an individual.
“I can’t thank the enlisted corps enough,” said Roberson. “The opportunity to come back and be recognized in this way is really special, it means a lot to me.”
Officers nominated to receive the Order of the Sword have gone through a rigorous selection process with the order being given only about once each decade.
“It means so much and we don’t just want to give the order of the sword away,” Gudgel said. “We have to protect the order of the sword legacy to ensure only the most deserving officers are inducted into the highest honor of our enlisted corps.”