AFIT Heritage Symposium Promises Riveting Speaker Schedule

By 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio –  The Air Force Institute of Technology’s 2010 Heritage Symposium will feature speakers representing some of AFIT’s most notable and successful graduates.

The Heritage Symposium will take place at AFIT on September 21 and 22. The public is welcome to attend.

The speaker line-up for this year will spotlight alumni’s thoughts on how their AFIT education has played a role in their careers and why AFIT is more relevant than ever to the Air Force’s current and future combat power.

Among those slated to speak at this year’s symposium is Lt. Gen. Allen G. Peck, Air University, Commander.

In his role as AU Commander, General Peck provides dynamic comprehensive education to prepare graduates to develop, employ, command, research and champion air, space, and cyberspace power at all levels.

Air University graduates more than 50,000 resident and 120,000 non-resident officers, enlisted and civilian personnel annually. Additionally, Air University provides the full spectrum of Air Force education, from pre-commissioning to all levels of professional military education.

General Peck received an AFIT master’s degree in operations research in 1985.

He earned his commission upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975. He has served as an F-15 aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and standardization and evaluation flight examiner. He has completed two tours on the Air Staff at the Pentagon, a joint assignment as Chief of Current Operations at U.S. Central Command, and was a National Security Fellow at Harvard. The general has commanded an air operations group in Germany, an air expeditionary wing in Saudi Arabia, and the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center.

General Peck was a key planner for the air war over Serbia, and served in the Vicenza Combined Air Operations Center as the Chief of Combat Plans during the subsequent campaign. He also served with the Commander of Air Force Forces at the USCENTCOM Combined Air Operations Center during Operation Iraqi Freedom major combat operations. During a subsequent tour as Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, he oversaw planning, tasking, execution and assessment of coalition air operations for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The General is a command pilot with more than 2,700 hours in the F-15, including more than 300 combat hours.

To hear General Peck’s perspective – and that of other alum speakers, to include Maj. Gen. David W. Eidsaune, Maj. Gen. Susan K. Mashiko, Dr. Guion S. Bluford, Jr. (former astronaut), Dr. Kevin A. Ford (astronaut), and Mr. Joseph E Zeis (Dayton Development Coalition) – make plans now to participate in the AFIT Heritage Symposium.

To learn more or to register for the symposium, visit the AFIT Heritage Symposium website @ www.afit.edu/symposium