Brig. Gen. Gerald “Gyro” Donohue is the U.S. Transportation Command Global Operations Center Chief. USTRANSCOM provides full-spectrum, global mobility solutions and related enabling capabilities for combatant command requirements in peace and war. The Global Operations Center coordinates with the Joint Staff, combatant commands, component commands, commercial industry, and other agencies to ensure movement plans are developed, prioritized, and implemented.
Brig. Gen. Donohue entered the Air Force in 1995 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. Upon completing pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, he served first in the C-9A community before transitioning to the C-130 community. In 2004, Brig. Gen. Donohue graduated from the C-130 Weapons Instructor Course. During his Air Force career, he has served in a variety of staff assignments at the major command, combatant command and Headquarters Air Force levels and had the privilege to command a squadron, a group and two wings.
Brig. Gen. Donohue is a command pilot with more than 4,600 hours including more than 700 combat and combat support hours. Prior to his current position, he was the Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, Requirements and Programs, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Psychology, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Master of Business Administration, Touro University International, Calif.
2008 U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officers’ Course, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2009 Joint PME Phase II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk Naval Station, Va.
2010 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2016 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2019 Driving Government Performance Leadership Strategies, Harvard University, Boston, Mass
2020 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2020 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Washington, D.C
2021 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 CAPSTONE, General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–February 1996, Officer Awaiting Pilot Training, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2. March 1996–May 1997, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3. June 1997–March 2000, C-9A Instructor Pilot, Executive Officer, Training Officer, 75th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
4. April 2001–December 2003, C-130E Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, Wing Executive Officer, 36th Airlift Squadron and 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
5. January 2004–June 2004, Student, C-130 Weapons Instructor Course, 29th Weapons Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. July 2004–July 2006, C-130H Instructor Pilot, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 317th Operations Support Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
7. July 2006–June 2007, C-130H Evaluator Pilot, Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 39th AS, Dyess AFB, Texas
8. July 2007–June 2008, Student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. July 2008–May 2011, Chief, Lessons Learned, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
10. June 2011–June 2012, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Southwest Asia
11. July 2012–June 2013, Deputy Commander for Operations, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
12. July 2013–June 2014, Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. July 2014–July 2015, Student, U.S. Naval War College, Naval Station Newport, R.I.
14. August 2015–June 2017, Commander, 86th Operations Group, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. July 2017–June 2019, Commander, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
17. July 2019–May 2021, Chief Innovation Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2021–May 2022, Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
19. June 2022–March 2023, Deputy Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, AMC, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. March 2023–present, Chief, Global Operations Center, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2008–May 2011, Chief, Lessons Learned Branch, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., as a major and lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,600 hours
Aircraft flown: KC-135R/T, C-130J, C-130E/H, C-9A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major July 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2010
Colonel August 1, 2015
Brigadier General May 2, 2021
(Current as of March 2023)