'America’s Secret Weapon: TRANSCOM' Mewbourne reflects on career and retirement

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (June 27, 2022) – Reflecting upon his service specifically over the last three years, and over his 40-plus years of military service, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Dee L. Mewbourne, deputy commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), said that he was very proud to be here at such critical times in the history of this command. “Our country has a secret weapon, and it’s TRANSCOM.” 

Mewbourne’s observation and reflection were part of a recent interview regarding his upcoming retirement from active Navy service, the last three years as deputy commander of USTRANSCOM. The video from the interview can be seen here .

“The secret weapon here is the people,” Mewbourne stated. “The people who are so professional, so devoted to what they are doing, they love their mission, and they find ways to say yes.” 

In July 2019, Mewbourne became the 16th deputy commander of USTRANSCOM, coming from the Military Sealift Command, TRANSCOM’s sealift component. He retires at the end of June. 

Mewbourne was raised in Ormond Beach, Florida. He graduated in 1982 from the United States Naval Academy and was designated a naval flight officer in December 1983.

When asked about the naval aviation part of his life, Mewbourne first explained that when he went to the Academy, he was drawn there from his family’s experiences in the Navy. He explained that he saw a poster of an aircraft carrier and said, “I want to be the captain of that!” A fellow midshipman responded, “You have to learn how to fly first,” and Mewbourne said, “Okay, that’s what I’ll do.” That set into his mind an entire career path which included command of not only one, but three aircraft carriers.

He is an honor graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School and completed the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, Air Command and Staff College, Joint Forces Staff College, and numerous executive educational courses.

Mewbourne deployed in support of Operations El Dorado Canyon, Provide Comfort, Deny Flight, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, and the 2006 Lebanon War. 

He accumulated over 3,600 total flight hours in over 50 various aircraft and over 1,000 arrested landings on 14 carrier decks.  

The admiral reflected on his time at USTRANSCOM and what he thinks makes the command so unique. 

There are three primary ingredients -- that “special sauce” -- which attract people to TRANSCOM, Mewbourne stated.  

First, “people want to be here,” he stated, “and they find a way to get stationed or hired here.”  

He also stated, “People love our mission. Everyone understands what we do; they see the value in what we do, as far as moving the men and women of our joint forces and their equipment around the world – in peacetime and in war.” 

The third ingredient is that “it’s the Midwest, and it has this Midwest culture – people who know it, know it; those who move here appreciate the culture. People say good morning and it’s not a platitude. People open doors for others because they are courteous and kind.” 

When asked, “What should people think about when they are asked about TRANSCOM,” Mewbourne said, “They should think that TRANSCOM is the foundation on which the Joint Force rests.” Like a house’s foundation which can be moved at will, TRANSCOM allows the Joint Force to be as large as it is, agile and flexible when and where it needs to be, during peacetime or during war. “We stay out of the limelight much of the time, but what we do is very important and I would want people to keep that in mind,” he added. 

When asked to explain why USTRANSCOM is unique and important, Mewbourne said, “We deliver. We can take anything and move it anywhere, anytime and we guarantee it in peace or war.”

Commenting on the current USTRANSCOM mission in providing security assistance support to the nation of Ukraine, Mewbourne said, “First off, it’s an extremely important mission. It’s beyond the support of that nation, but we are standing up, in this case, against Russia. It is a battle of ideals – the idea that countries have the free will to determine their destiny. In our case, we chose democracy and we espoused personal freedoms. Other countries should be able to choose also and they should be able to do without fear of being compelled into another’s will by force.”

Mewbourne stated that he is proud of his role during this mission. He explained that much of the work in support of this mission was delegated to others to make the coordination, direct the movements, and track and monitor movements and shipments. 

“My job as the deputy is a lot like a (baseball) shortstop, Mewbourne stated. “I run around and make sure that everyone’s doing their job and nothing gets dropped. I’ve loved every minute of the last three years in serving as the deputy.” He also said the same attitude and performance during the Afghanistan NEO (noncombatant operation) and missions in Africa prevailed and he was proud to be in the role of deputy commander during them as well. 

“Working our way through COVID was something … just seeing this team in action and continuing to do our mission – we never failed during our two years of COVID,” Mewbourne said, adding “because people worked together and solved complex problems.” 

The admiral talked about his family and how they adjusted over the years. He talked about the “11 years, six months, and 24 days” he spent at sea over the years and how that absence affected his homelife.  

“I missed lots of holidays and birthdays and special occasions. I have three children and attended only one graduation from one child. I missed the rest because I was at sea. I have to say that my family is extremely supportive of my service,” he said.

He said at the 30-year point, he was tempted to get out of the Navy, before he became a flag officer (he was a captain at the time). During a family meeting where he brought it up, his family said, “Absolutely not, Dad. It’s not just about you … it is who we are. It’s not just your service, but it's all of us too. We’re a Navy family.” Mewbourne added, “I give great credit to them for sticking at my side.”   

Immediately upon retirement he is looking forward to spending time with his “five and a half granddaughters,” the sixth due to be birthed in August. “I just love them all so much – if there was something like the center of a person’s universe, they would be it. I want to spend that time initially doing things that ‘papas’ (their name for his role as grandfather) do with their grandchildren,” Mewbourne proudly stated. He then plans to work in the private sector, in a “consequential leadership position within an organization trying to change the world, trying to make it better somehow.” He will be looking for more of a work-life balance.

He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University and looks forward to applying it, along with a wealth of knowledge and experience, to that new opportunity. 

He ended the interview with a message to the TRANSCOM workforce: 

“What you do, matters. If you’re like me, and if you joined the service in either a civilian or military capacity, because you wanted to make a difference in your life, congratulations – you did it! Because around here at TRANSCOM, we make a difference every single day in peace or in war. Whether we are carrying COVID vaccine; taking people out of Afghanistan and giving them a life they would not otherwise get; or taking lethal aid into Poland for them to transport it to Ukraine so that those people may have a fair shot against the tyranny and oppression of Russia; or if we’re delivering combat power to someplace, somewhere in the world, because we want to make the world a safer place. All of these things, we do every single day. So, what you are doing matters.”

Mewbourne thanked all of the people he worked with for the last three years. “Thank you for being good teammates, thank you for your extraordinary role modelling, professionalism, and thank you for choosing to serve our country and thank you for the difference you make in your lives by serving at TRANSCOM. God Speed and God Bless.” 

He is hopeful that with his next “jump,” he may find people with a similar amount of passion and enthusiasm about the nation and its people. 

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