Photo By Tech. Sgt. Dalton Williams | U.S. Air Force Gen. Randall Reed, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, presents a...... read more read more
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Members across the mobility enterprise, family, and distinguished guests gathered here, Sept. 3, to honor Lt. Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, Air Mobility Command deputy commander, as she retired following more than three decades of distinguished military service. As a command pilot, Sonkiss flew 4,598 flight hours, including 1,377 combat hours, in nine different Air Force manned and remotely piloted aircraft.
The ceremony celebrated a career defined by rapid global mobility leadership, her strategic contributions to joint warfighting readiness and her unwavering advocacy for Airmen.
Gen. Randall Reed, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, the presiding officer of the ceremony, remarked on Sonkiss’s career and lasting impact on those around her.
“You've accomplished everything that you can possibly accomplish,” said Reed. “You have taught the rest of us to take it from here.”
Sonkiss’s retirement marks the end of a pivotal chapter for AMC. In October 2024, she became the deputy commander for AMC and guided the command through the successful execution of Operation Midnight Hammer and the Department-Level Exercise series in 2025. Stepping into the role of AMC interim commander in February 2026, Sonkiss led the command through Operation Epic Fury, in addition to the delivery of critical relief in response to the earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24, 2026.
Throughout her tenure, she championed modernization of the Mobility Air Forces, focusing AMC’s efforts on https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/lt-gen-rebecca-j-sonkiss/:
“Our Airmen adapted, survived – even thrived – and enabled the Joint Force to deliver the protection the theater needed, the fuel our fighters and bombers must have and the confidence to operate at great risk,” said Sonkiss.
The retirement ceremony concluded with the traditional rendering of salutes and the presentation of major awards recognizing her decades of service. Airmen from Scott Air Force Base Honor Guard presented her with a folded American flag that belonged to her late father. In July, Sonkiss flew the flag to honor her father’s legacy during her fini flight, where she piloted a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Lindsey Graham, South Carolina. Addressing the audience of Airmen, colleagues, and family, Sonkiss reflected on her final command tour and the legacy of the mobility enterprise.
“The real work of leaders is not in creating their own personal legacy. It's about investing in others,” said Sonkiss. “The legacy is creating those connections and service that make us all more capable than we believe possible. It's not my legacy; it's ours.”
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.03.2026 17:19 |
| Story ID: | 573949 |
| Location: | SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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