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Jex promoted to 1-star general this week. 30-year veteran takes reins of 711th Human Performance Wing.
A brigadier general has been named commander of the 711th Human Performance Wing, taking over the post from a civilian leader who has retired.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE —
A brigadier general is the first military commander of the 711th Human Performance Wing, taking over the post from a civilian leader who has retired.
Brig. Gen. Timothy T. Jex took the reins Friday from Thomas S. Wells, a member of the senior executive service and the first person to lead the 711th Human Performance Wing since it joined medical education and scientific research branches and relocated to Wright-Patterson.
The leadership change happened at a ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
“I have never been more honored or more excited to take command of a wing,” Jex told those gathered.
The veteran officer, promoted to the rank of one-star general this week, is a chief flight surgeon with a nearly 30-year Air Force career. He was the vice director of the 711th wing before his promotion.
The wing, based at WrightPatterson, has the chief mission units of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, the Human Effectiveness Directorate and the Human Performance Integration Directorate.
Wells, who once intended to be a park ranger before he chose to pursue a civilian Air Force career, focused his farewell message on the service’s core values of integrity, service before self, and excellence in all pursuits.
He also defended the work of government employees in an era of budget austerity and public disfavor. He said the wing has to deal with dwindling spending that shrunk from $368 million in fiscal year 2008 to $290 million most recently.
According to its website, the wing’s mission is to advance human performance in air, space and cyberspace through research and education.
Jex said he could not foretell if cuts might impact the 711th Human Performance Wing in the near future. “We obviously think we have a vital mission here,” but national leaders will make budget decisions, he said in an interview.
The Air Force has previously announced plans to cut aircraft and its military and civilian workforce service wide to meet budget objectives next year. Those plans, however, have met opposition in Congress.