One of the military’s top-ranking women retired Friday during a ceremony at Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East.
Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command and one of only around a dozen women to hold the rank of four-star general, retired after more than three decades in the military.
USTRANSCOM, one of 11 unified military commands, is in charge of transportation and logistics for the Department of Defense.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was on hand for the changing of leadership ceremony, in which Gen. Randall Reed took over as head of the unit.
Van Ovost had served in the role since 2021. Austin said her career paved the way for other women in the military.
“I stopped jumping out of airplanes a while ago, but Jackie, you kept right on flying them,” said Austin, who once was commander of a parachute infantry regiment. "You've always been at home in the sky, but getting there wasn't easy. As you have said, you've always tried to make the path wider with more opportunities and fewer barriers.”
Transcom uses its fleet of thousands of ships, aircraft and railcars to move supplies, people and equipment to the military. During Van Ovost’s tenure as commander, she coordinated the deployment of troops and equipment to war zones in Ukraine and the West Bank.
As a young pilot, Van Ovost’s first job was towing advertising banners over beaches in Florida. She wanted to fly fighter jets, but the Air Force didn’t yet allow women to fly in combat. So Van Ovost commanded a refueling squadron, became a test pilot and amassed more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
Van Ovost in her retirement speech thanked the Transcom team of 120,000 active and reserve service members and civilians.
“If we were a necessity before, we are indispensable now,” she said. “Wherever you see American forces, Transcom not only put them there, but provides that continuous sustainment so that we can maintain continuous operations.”
Reed, who takes over from Van Ovost after serving as the deputy commander of the unit’s air operations, also served in Turkey and Germany.
Reed said he was honored, humbled and ready to serve.
“[Transcom employees’] patriotism gives our nation and unrivaled strategic advantage, and whose hard work on any given day sets in motion rail, cars, trucks, maritime ships, personal vehicles and household good shipments in the thousands, as well as an airplane taking off or landing every 2.8 minutes,” Reed said.
Reed earned his fourth star as a general with his promotion.
