Retiring after 36 years

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Linda E. Welz
  • Fourth Air Force Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Major General Robert E. Duignan, commander, Headquarters Fourth Air Force, retired here, Sunday. Having faithfully served the military for 36 years, Maj. Gen. Duignan relinquished his command of the Numbered Air Force at a 10 a.m. ceremony, which was attended by family, friends, mentors, co-workers and subordinates, many of whom were around when he assumed the command in September 2003. 

"For the first few weeks in this job, I sat back and watched to figure out what was going on," said the general. "I saw some reluctance on people's part to go out and do their jobs, waiting for somebody to say something. That's not a reflection on my predecessor, that's just how things worked." 

Maj. Gen. Duignan entered the U.S. Air Force in 1973, as a graduate of the University of Washington Reserve Officer Training Corps program. His career began with pilot training to fly the C-141 Startlifter. 

He honed his flying skills as a pilot to become an instructor and flight examiner at the 7th Military Airlift Squadron, and the 708th Airlift Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif. before transitioning into operations with the 710th MAS and the 349th Airlift Wing there. 

"While at Travis, I learned a lot about flying airplanes all around the world and how much fun that was. I still have close friends from back then," he said. 

In October 1989, the then Lieutenant Colonel Duignan, accepted a position in operations at the 459th Military Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, Md., where he remained for almost three years. While in the National Capitol Region, he took the opportunity to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 

"ICAF was an opportunity to work with a bunch of different services, and civilians from all pieces of the government. The value of joint education courses is to see how the others, who have grown up in their stovepipe, handle things," said Maj. Gen. Duignan. 

He accepted his first command at the 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, September 1993, moving to wing commander 13 months later, and remaining there for almost five years. 

Putting the unit at Rickenbacker AFB, Ohio together in the summer of 1992 was extremely challenging according to Maj. Gen. Duignan. The unit was converting from C-130s to C-141s. 

"The unit didn't want to move or think it was necessary. It took me two to three months to convince them that we stood a better chance of getting what we wanted if we went there on our terms, proactively to try to find a way to bed the unit down, than if we went kicking and screaming. We flew out of there on the third of April 1994 and we never went back," he said. 

After leaving Ohio, and prior to assuming command of 4th AF, Maj. Gen. Duignan gained further experience at the Pentagon, Washington, D. C. and at A.F. Reserve Command headquarters, Robins AFB, Ga. 

"I think seeing that much of a broader perspective and then bringing that back to the field, gave me the opportunity to take a deep breath and say that there are some things that we absolutely have to get done today, but there are other things that can wait until tomorrow," he said. 

"Tomorrow the sun's going to come up and there is going to be plenty to keep you busy. If you don't have to make the decision right now, sometimes clearing your head and thinking about it a little bit, you'll come up with a better decision."