Plant 42 hails new commander

Valley Press on ^ | Thursday, July 27, 2006. | ALLISON GATLIN

[BenLurkin]

PALMDALE - Command of Air Force Plant 42 passed to a new leader Wednesday, as Lt. Col. Ronald Ortiz ended his three-year tenure and Lt. Col. Ronald Hirtle took over.

The morning ceremony took place outside a hangar, against a backdrop of aircraft that claim Air Force Plant 42 as their birthplace: F-117 stealth fighter, B-2 stealth bomber, U-2 and the experimental X-37 spacecraft demonstrator.

"If you look around at these airplanes, they speak for themselves. This is where the cutting edge of the Air Force is born," said Col. James A. Godsey , deputy director of the Engineering Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center and presiding officer for the change of command.

The government-owned, contractor-operated facility is home to the major players of the aerospace industry: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., The Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. The eight separate production sites that make up Plant 42 occupy 5,900 acres at the north end of Palmdale, roughly bordered by Sierra Highway, Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P), Columbia Way (Avenue M) and 50th Street East. It has two 12,000-foot runways, shared by the tenants.

As commander of the flight test production facility, Hirtle commands more than 6,800 employees - military and contractor - and more than $30 billion in air and spacecraft assets.

The military command is responsible primarily for installation security and fire protection, as well as maintenance and operations of the twin runways.

"The operations have gone smoothly here," Godsey said of Ortiz's tenure, noting that the installation has won organizational awards every quarter.

Ortiz lists improvements in providing support for the contractor operations as one of the accomplishments of his tenure.

[BenLurkin]

Lengthy but interesting article.

[BenLurkin]

"THE NEW BLUE - Lt. Col. Ronald Hirtle, new commander, stands with his fiance, Laura Snow, after the change of command ceremony Wednesday morning at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale." KELLY LACEFIELD/Valley Press

[Mr. Jazzy]

"Lean & mean, Air Force machine!"


Just joking!


Looks like a stout hearted man for a big, big job.

[BenLurkin]

Yes, well USAF has it's own standards I guess.

This not the kind physique you'd see on the warriors in CARNG. On the other hand the Lt.Col. may very well have an IQ of 160 . . .

[Tallguy]

On the other hand the Lt.Col. may very well have an IQ of 160 . . .

...or has an MBA from Harvard or Wharton... or possibly an advanced engineering degree.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Yeah, probably more brains in his pinky than in my whole family tree!

Funny stuff about the Air force. It's 0530 on a Saturday and I drove my son, as a "poolie" was meeting up with his Marine recruiters and the other poolies to do PT in a local park. You know, work 'em, stretch 'em, run 'em till they puke stuff. The poolies and the sgts. are about 20 minutes into their workout and have run out of sight.

A couple of other vehicles pull up, some young guys get out and are milling about under a tree. Up drives a van, Air Force recruiter gets out and starts to chew out the young guys, but good! Tells them he is going to work them and work them hard! They stretch, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Then they get ready to run, the recruiter goes over to his van, pops the rear door and pulls out a bicycle! He yells at the recruits to form up and he jumps on the bike and rides along side of them!

I just sat there with my mouth hanging open.