Colonel Despinoy nominated for brigadier general

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Rich Curry
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Tinker AFB, Okla. --  For deployed 507th Air Refueling Wing commander Col. Dean J. Despinoy, the news couldn’t have been better. 

The colonel was awoken at 3 a.m. the day prior to Thanksgiving Day and told, “Your name made the President’s brigadier general nomination list.” 

“I am honored to have this opportunity to continue to serve my country,” Despinoy said in an e-mail message back to his Oklahoma Air Force Reserve unit. 

Col. Despinoy was one of nine brigadier generals and 15 colonels in the Air Force Reserve who were nominated by the president Nov. 22 for promotion to the next higher rank. These promotions take effect upon U.S. Senate confirmation and by the direction of the chief of Air Force Reserve. 

“If there are no delays in the Senate, I anticipate pin on around January 15,” Colonel Despinoy said. Since the colonel will remain deployed to the Southwest Theater Area of Operations during this time, a second ceremony will be held at the 507th ARW upon his return. 

“I plan to have a formal pin on ceremony back at Tinker with my family, the 507th, Team Tinker, and members of the community, shortly after I return,” Colonel Despinoy said.
The colonel deployed over a month earlier in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed he is serving as the Deputy director of Mobility Forces in the Combined Air Operations Center or CAOC. The CAOC is the central hub for air and space operations dealing with operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and in the Horn of Africa region. During the previous year the CAOC has had oversight and control over 43,600 airlift sorties while relocating 856,000 passengers and 146,000 tons of cargo in transit within their area of responsibility. This effort required the support 10,900 refueling aircraft missions to offload the 680 million pounds of fuel during flying operations. As the controlling operational center for all this airlift activity, the CAOC is truly one of the busiest places in the theater. 

“It is a privilege to work with all the heroes from other services and the coalition,” the colonel said. “Right here in the CAOC, we have Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force members as well as coalition partners from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Canada, Iraq, and Britain.” 

“In my position as the Dep DIRMOBFOR, I interface with this diverse group daily. Everyone works long hours as a true joint and inter-service team to plan and execute the air operations throughout the CENTCOM AOR for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. It is an awesome task carried out by an incredibly professional group of experts,” he added. 

The colonel said his job requires him to visit various locations within the AOR to include Army, Marine, and Air Force bases in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. “At each location I am extremely impressed by the excellent morale and the understanding of the importance of their mission,” he said. ““Every day I am thrilled to be part of this important period in history and be able to watch democracies develop before my very eyes. I am thankful for this opportunity and I recommend an assignment in the AOR to everyone,” the colonel said. 

Colonel Despinoy concluded his message home saying, “I am looking forward to my return and once again taking the helm of the 507th Air Refueling Wing. It makes it even more special to be able to do that as a one star.”