# Darren W. McDew

Darren Wayne McDew (born September 29, 1960) is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the Commander of United States Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. His previous senior command positions include Commander of Air Mobility Command as a general and Commander, Eighteenth Air Force (18AF) as a lieutenant general. In March, 2019, soon after General McDew's retirement, United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao named him as Co-Chair of the Special Committee to Review the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Certification Process. According to a letter from Secretary Chao, the Special Committee is "specifically tasked to review the 737 MAX 800 certification process from 2012 to 2017."
McDew is a Command Pilot with over 3,300 hours of flight time. He has flown the T-37B, T-38A, KC-135A/R, C-17A, C-141B, C-9, C-21, C-130E/H, and UH-1N. His personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit, among others.
McDew married in 1983 to the former Evelyn K. Massenburg. They have a daughter, Keisha, and a son, Keith, an officer in the United States Coast Guard.

## Assignments

McDew was born in Rantoul, Illinois in 1960. Upon graduation from Virginia Military Institute in 1982 as the first African American Regimental Commander with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, McDew was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force and, following flight training, began his operational flying career at Loring Air Force Base, Maine. His staff assignments include serving as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Air Force aide to the President, chief of the Air Force Senate Liaison Division and the director of Air Force Public Affairs. McDew served as vice director for Strategic Plans and Policy for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the commander of Eighteenth Air Force at Scott Air Force Base, and commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels as well as at an Air Force direct reporting unit. He deployed in support of ongoing operations in Central and Southwest Asia as an air expeditionary group commander and later as the director of mobility forces. Prior to his final assignment, McDew was the commander of Air Mobility Command.
In the course of his career McDew completed the following assignments:
* October 1982 – October 1983, Student, undergraduate pilot training, 82d Flying Training Wing, Williams AFB, AZ
* October 1983 – March 1984, KC-135 combat crew training, 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle AFB, CA
* March 1984 – June 1989, Standardization and Evaluation Copilot, Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot and Flight commander, 42nd Air Refueling Squadron, Loring AFB, ME
* July 1989 – June 1992, Combat Crew Training School examiner and Instructor Pilot, Assistant Deputy Wing Inspector and Wing Executive Officer, 93rd Bomb Wing, Castle AFB, CA
* July 1992 – April 1994, Rated Force Planner, Directorate of Personnel Plans; member, Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
* April 1994 – June 1996, Air Force aide to the President (Bill Clinton), White House, Washington, D.C.
* October 1996 – June 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, SC
* June 1997 – June 1999, Commander, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, SC
* August 1999 – July 2000, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, Sun Microsystems Inc., Palo Alto, Calif.
* July 2000 – January 2002, Commander, 62nd Operations Group, McChord AFB, WA. (TDY September 2001 – December 2001, Commander, 60th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia)
* January 2002 – July 2003, Commander, 375th Airlift Wing, and Installation Commander, Scott AFB, IL
* July 2003 – January 2005, Chief, U.S. Air Force Senate Liaison Division, Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
* January 2005 – July 2006, Commander, 43rd Airlift Wing, and Installation Commander, Pope AFB, NC (TDY January 2006 – May 2006, Director of Mobility Forces, Southwest Asia)
* July 2006 – November 2007, Vice Commander, Eighteenth Air Force, Scott AFB, IL
* November 2007 – February 2009, Director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
* February 2009 – December 2010, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
* December 2010 – August 2012, Commander, Air Force District of Washington, Andrews AFB, MD
* August 2012 – May 2014, Commander, Eighteenth Air Force, Scott AFB, IL
* May 2014 – August 2015, Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL
* August 2015 – August 2018, Commander, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL
* 1 October 2018 – Retiring

## Effective dates of promotion

Promotions :
| Rank | Date |
| General | May 5, 2014 |
| Lieutenant General | August 6, 2012 |
| Major General | December 9, 2008 |
| Brigadier General | September 2, 2006 |
| Colonel | April, 2000 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | January 1, 1997 |
| Major | March 1, 1994 |
| Captain | July 13, 1986 |
| First Lieutenant | May 15, 1984 |
| Second Lieutenant | May 15, 1982 |

## Awards and decorations

McDew has been awarded the following decorations and awards:
Badges :
* Air Force Command Pilot Badge
* Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge
* United States Transportation Command Badge
* Presidential Service Badge
Personal Decorations :
* Defense Distinguished Service Medal
* Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
* Meritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters
* Army Commendation Medal
* Air Force Achievement Medal
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clusters
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two silver oak leaf clusters
* Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Combat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
* National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
* Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
* Kosovo Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
* Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
* Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
* Armed Forces Service Medal
* Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame and one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
* Air Force Training Ribbon