USTRANSCOM honors one of their own with celebration of life

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (August 16, 2022) – U.S Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) held a memorial service in Hangar 1 today, for Air Force Col. Zachary “Starbuck” Hall, who served as the chief of the Commander’s Action Group (CAG), USTRANSCOM, prior to his passing.

Hall’s brother-in-law, Reverend Michael Borgert and retired Navy Vice Admiral Dee Mewbourne provided comments in remembrance.

USTRANSCOM Commander, Air Force Gen. Jaqueline Van Ovost, also shared memories of Hall as she reflected on her time with her former CAG director.

“Those of us here today, and who carry him in their thoughts, are a testament to the immediate, profound, and enduring impacts Zach made on his profession, community, and family,” Van Ovost said. 

“Today, as part of the healing process, we strive to remember and capture all we can about this tremendous person. There is no denying that this is hard, that the pain is real, or that his loss has affected us all in ways we cannot completely explain or understand. But together we will commit ourselves to celebrating his life and improving the world around us, just as he did,” she said. 

Hall served multiple deployments, amassed eight Air Medals over 160 combat missions and almost 1,100 combat hours. He was a deployed aircraft commander, deployed assistant director of operations, and participated in a record-setting combat airdrop mission that delivered 190 thousand pounds of supplies to a single drop zone in an area fraught with enemy surface-to-air weapons.

Hall accumulated over 4,300 flight hours with more than half as an instructor or evaluator pilot.

“Wearing the uniform through more than two decades of military service, Colonel Hall amassed an astounding number of achievements. His call to serve led him to the United States Air Force Academy where he graduated in 2001. From there, Zach and the Hall family would move over 10 times,” Van Ovost said.

“But I think rather than list every assignment and each of Zach’s incredible contributions, I will frame his exemplary service in three ways: Airman, Warrior, Leader,” she continued. “He was far more than a pilot; he was a leader. Part of his commitment to leadership was a life-long pursuit of knowledge and improvement,” Van Ovost said.

Mewbourne, who recently retired as deputy commander of USTRANSCOM, shared that during Hall’s time as his executive officer, Hall always shared stories of the incredible bonds and fun memories he had with his wife, Katie, and their four children; they meant the world to him.

He also read one of Hall’s favorite poems by John Gillespie Magee, Jr., titled “High Flight”, capturing honor for service and flight, both of which Hall was no stranger to.

Outside of the cockpit, Hall earned four master’s degrees, three of which were through curriculums and selective programs in the Department of Defense: the Air Force Institute of Technology, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and the Joint Advanced Warfighting School.

Following a 21-gun salute, Van Ovost played another part in the ceremony and personally handed a meticulously folded American flag to Hall’s surviving spouse, Katie. Van Ovost also distinguished Hall and his career by presenting him posthumously with the Defense Superior Service Medal. 

Before the memorial service started, a police escort led a funeral procession where members of the community lined the streets of Scott AFB in a display of respect and support of the Hall family. Full military honors during the memorial were rendered, culminating in a C-17 Globemaster III flyover.