Major General James P Czekanski, USAF (Retired)

Maj Gen Jim Czekanski served this nation and the United States Air Force for nearly 38 years as an active duty combat pilot, a senior Air Force civilian employee, and Air Force Reserve officer.

As an active duty pilot from 1968 to 1975, he flew 55 combat missions and over 250 combat hours as an AC-130 Spectre Gunship aircraft commander and instructor pilot. He separated from active duty and became a dual status Air Reserve Technician (ART), an Air Force civil service position designed to train, organize, and lead Air Force reserve units. He also served as a reservist in that unit, and usually his civilian job matched that of his military responsibilities, as did his military grade and civilian rank.

As an ART for the next 28 years, Gen Czekanski commanded an Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, a C-130 Tactical Airlift Group, a C-141B Airlift Wing, a C-5A Airlift Wing and Instillation, and a Numbered Air Force.  He also served as a Major Air Command Inspector General and Director of Operations. He became a member of the Air Force Senior Executive Service (SES-3) in 1997, and was promoted to Major General in 2001. He maintained active flying status until 2003, and has flown over 7,500 hours in the C-130A/B/E/H/J, the AC-130A/E, the HC-130 H/P/N, the C-141B/C, the C-5A/B, and the KC-135R.  He has flown in practically every conflict since 1968 to include Southeast Asia, Operations JUST CAUSE, DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, and the Balkan War.

General Czekanski retired from Federal civil service in 2003, but remained in the Air Force Reserve and served as the Reserve Advisor to the Commander, US Transportation Command, the Commander of the Joint Transportation Unit at HQ USTRANSCOM, and Director of the USTRANSCOM Reserve Directorate.  He retired in 2006.

As a civilian manager and senior leader, and  Air Force general officer, General Czekanski has dealt with the myriad of complex operational, environmental, legal, and combat issues which confront a wing and numbered Air Force commander.  As the instillation commander of a World War Two era former SAC base for five years, he dealt with all the issues confronting a large, complicated, aging facility while commanding a C-5 wing in combat support operation. The number Air Force he commanded had over 25,000 members in fourteen wings, and stretched from Andrews AF Base, MD, to Anderson AFB, Guam.  He commanded all of the Air Force Reserve’s KC-135 and C-141 assets, and half of its KC-10 and C-5 units during  the aftermath of 9-11 and Operations ENDURING FREEDOM AND IRAQI FREEDOM. He initially mobilized over half of his flying squadrons and kept units deployed throughout these operations.  His leadership skills and dedication to his people and the mission received the highest praise.

His military career ended with a three-year assignment to HQ US Transportation Command, where he used his in-depth knowledge of Air Force mobility operations and  Air Force Reserve capabilities to advise the Commander on reserve issues.  In this capacity, he also gained significant insight into the operations and procedures of  all the other service’s reserve components and the National Guard, while commanding elements of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard  Reserves.

General Czekanski has had a unique career as both a military commander and senior civilian leader. He has dealt with many challenges using leadership traits taken from both the military and civilian world. His knowledge of the Reserve Component and mobility and distribution issues makes him an invaluable resource.

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