Brigadier General Lynn Rans is assistant comptroller of the Air Force for accounting and finance; commander, Air Force Accounting and Finance Center; and assistant director, Defense Security Assistance Agency for Security Assistance Accounting, Denver. He is responsible for operation of the worldwide Air Force accounting and finance network, paying all Air Force active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and retired members and accounting for all monies appropriated to the Air Force by the U.S. Congress.
General Rans was born in 1936, in Rochester, Ind. He graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1958 with a bachelor of science degree in business. He received a master of business administration degree from Michigan State University, East Lansing, in 1963 and a doctorate of business administration from Indiana University in 1972. He graduated from the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., in 1976.
He received his commission as a second lieutenant following graduation from Indiana University as a distinguished military graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. After completing technical training in January 1959 at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, General Rans was assigned to the 3615th Pilot Training Wing, Craig Air Force Base, Ala., as deputy accounting and finance officer. In August 1962 he entered the Michigan State University graduate school through the Air Force Institute of Technology program.
Following graduation the general was assigned to the 6314th Support Wing, Osan Air Base, South Korea, as deputy accounting and finance officer from October 1963 to October 1964, after which he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as accounting officer for the Directorate of Special Investigations.
In October 1967 General Rans transferred to the Air University's Institute for Professional Development, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., to help establish the Professional Military Comptroller Course. While there he served as chief of the Resource Management Division until he was selected for doctoral studies at Indiana University in September 1969 under the Air Force Institute of Technology program.
When he received his doctoral degree in February 1972, General Rans returned to Air Force headquarters as a cost analyst in the Management Division and later served as chief of the Program Control Branch, Operations Division, Directorate of Budget until August 1975.
After graduation from the National War College in June 1976, he was assigned as chief of the Resource Management Branch, Directorate of Inspections, Air Force Inspection and Safety Center at Norton Air Force Base, Calif. From August 1978 to June 1980, General Rans served as deputy for comptroller of the Air Force Space Division at Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif. He was then named deputy auditor general of the Air Force and commander of the Air Force Audit Agency at Norton Air Force Base. General Rans assumed his present duties in January 1982.
His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with two oak leaf clusters and Air Force Organizational Excellence Award ribbon.
The general is a certified public accountant in Virginia and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
He was promoted to brigadier general June 1, 1982, with date of rank Oct. 1, 1981.
(Current as of March 2021)