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Kittler Takes Command of JTRU, Becomes Reserve Affairs Advisor for USTRANSCOM

Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael D. Kim relinquished command of Joint Transportation Reserve Unit (JTRU) to Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas E. Kittler in a ceremony Sept. 12 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael D. Kim relinquished command of Joint Transportation Reserve Unit (JTRU) to Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas E. Kittler in a ceremony Sept. 12 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Gen. Darren McDew, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) presided over the ceremony, during which Kittler became the 11th commander of JTRU and assumed the role of Mobilization Assistant to the Commander. Kittler will be the commander’s primary advisor for reserve component policy, guidance and developments that affects 88,000 reservists who support USTRANSCOM’s global mission.


Kim’s next assignment will be Mobilization Assistant to Commander, Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.


“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to have led so many talented warriors,” Kim said. “Day in, and day out, this team’s unselfish commitment to the TRANSCOM mission has been vital to our national security. You continually validate that you are a viable and very relevant asset to TRANSCOM. Together, you delivered, and I know that same dedication and commitment will continue for Brig. Gen. Kittler.”


Gen. McDew also commented on both the outgoing and incoming JTRU commanders during his remarks.


"As commander of the JTRU, Maj. Gen. Kim always led from the front and put people first," McDew said.  "He leveraged their broad and unique experience to enhance TRANSCOM's ability to meet both the day-to-day, as well as surge transportation and distribution requirements for America's forces.  Maj. Gen. Kim is a consummate professional and has had a lasting impact on this command."


"Brig. Gen. Kittler is the right person, at the right time to succeed Maj. Gen. Kim," McDew continued.  "When I was Commander of the 18th Air Force, he was my choice to serve as Mobilization Assistant, and I know from personal experience that he is a dedicated, diligent and driven leader.  His vast leadership and operational experience, coupled with his passion to serve, makes him the perfect choice to lead the JTRU and support America's warfighters across the globe."


 “I am truly humbled and honored to serve in this role, and will do my utmost to fill the boots of such a brilliant and energetic leader as Maj. Gen. Kim,” Kittler said. “It amazes me to see there is no tangible differentiation between JTRU reservists and the active duty personnel here at TRANSCOM. At his recent assumption of command ceremony, Gen. McDew promised our nation we will be ready anytime, anywhere to support our warfighters. Today, I promise him the same thing. JTRU will be ready to seamlessly support TRANSCOM and our nation with the same level of passion and professionalism – together, as one team.”


Kittler most recently served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 18th Air Force, also based at Scott Air Force Base. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois. He also studied as a Senior Executive Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. Kittler has logged more than 4,400 military flight hours, including 134 combat and 146 combat support hours, in the T-37, T-38, C-21, KC-10, C-130 and C-17. He has also accumulated more than 6,000 hours flying commercial aircraft including the Fokker-100 and Boeing 737, 727, 757 and 767 platforms.


USTRANSCOM, one of nine combatant commands, provides air, land and sea transportation, terminal management and aerial refueling to support the global deployment, employment, sustainment and redeployment of U.S. forces. Its components include the Army's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, the Navy's Military Sealift Command in Washington, D.C., and the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, Norfolk, Va.


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