By 
The Air Force Research Laboratory welcomed its newest commander, Brig. Gen. Jason E. Bartolomei, at a change of command ceremony hosted by the commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, July 10, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton.
In his opening remarks, Richardson acknowledged the lab’s transition from “one fantastic leader to another.”
“I do think that this is the job you were meant for,” Richardson said to Bartolomei. “All of the jobs that you’ve been doing have been leading to this one.”
Prior to assuming command of AFRL, Bartolomei served as the program executive officer for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where Bartolomei was responsible for the planning and execution of all life cycle activities for air-delivered munitions and oversaw a $92 billion weapons portfolio.
“This guy knows how to work with the lab,” Richardson said. “AFRL is trying to build that affordable, competitive, continuous pipeline of technologies that we can then put into programs of record and field, and that’s really the focus, General Bartolomei, of your tenure as you take on the lab.”
Richardson emphasized the depth and breadth of the incoming commander’s academic training, prior professional experiences, and leadership skills. Bartolomei holds a PhD in Engineering Systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master’s Certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University.
“He knows how to synthesize information, he’s an optimist, he sees possibilities where others don’t,” Richardson said of Bartolomei. “He’s just a great human being.”
Shortly after taking the stage to deliver his first public address as AFRL’s 14th commander, Bartolomei acknowledged two aspects of his personality that he felt made him well-suited to step into his latest role.
“I love being a part of teams,” Bartolomei said. “I love being connected to others, and I really love doing something bigger than myself. I like to learn and grow. I’m pretty sure that’s why I love the Air Force so much, and, actually, I think this is why I have grown so excited about joining AFRL.”
Bartolomei took the reins from Maj. Gen. Scott A. Cain, who served as AFRL’s commander since June 2023. Cain, who will assume his new post as commander of the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California on July 30, remarked to the crowd gathered in the museum’s Hangar Two that while he looks forward to his next assignment, it is “bittersweet” to leave the lab.
“[This move] in particular is a tough one because this community has been so good to us,” Cain said. “[But] I have full confidence that General Bartolomei is going to continue to build on our momentum and lead this team through this era of technological competition.”
Bartolomei, who earned his Master of Science degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2001, first settled in the Dayton region with his spouse following his commissioning into the Air Force in 1997.
“We love Ohio, we love the Midwest, and we’re just so happy to be back,” Bartolomei told local media outlets following the ceremony. “Ohio has a super special place in our heart. This was where I started my career as a brand-new second lieutenant. I had the opportunity to serve here for four years and those were four of the best years that [my wife] and I have had.”
AFRL faces a time of profound consequence, Bartolomei said, that is as challenging as any other time in the nation’s history. “I believe the mission of AFRL has never been more critical. The future of the fight depends on our innovations, technical wizardry, and our role to support and integrate within the air and space domains. Like the past, our success depends on the brilliant, patriotic, hardworking, faithful men and women from all ranks and all walks of life banding together to deliver game-changing technology,” he said.
Source: AFRL
If you enjoyed this article, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep our site ad-free.
