Roger That: Col. Earl Young, first commander of 18th Air Force, dies

The Air Mobility Command announced Tuesday the passing of one of its first leaders — 102-year-old retired Col. Earl Young. Col Young was the first commander to establish and lead the 18th Air Force. During World War II, Young flew P-40 combat missions in Africa; B-25 bombers over Italy and Corsica; and organized troop carrier training for the Korean War.

Young served from March to May 1951 as the first commander of the 18th Air Force, originally located at Donaldson AFB, S.C., and then later moved Scott. He later served as the 18th Air Force’s assistant chief of staff.

Young, who retired from the Air Force in 1962, flew the P-51, P-38, P-40, B-17, C-47 and C-54 aircraft and received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal and American Defense Service Medal.

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A former top officer with the U.S. Transportation Command, based at Scott Air Force Base, is the subject of a lot of unflattering attention because of stories about his alleged drunken and nude escapades at a trade conference in Florida, becoming the Navy’s most senior officer removed from his post this year, according to Navy Times.

Rear Adm. David Baucom, 56, lost his job as Transcom’s director of Strategy, Policy, Capabilities, and Logistics, after an investigation into his misbehavior in April while attending the National Defense Transportation Association’s Transportation Advisory Board in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

On the night of April 7, Baucom attended a dinner with about 70 conference attendees and imbibed all or part of at least eight drinks, according to an investigation released by the Navy after inquiries from Navy Times. According to the investigation, Baucom attended the meeting as part of a Transcom delegation.

Baucom became so intoxicated that he was unable to stand and had to be brought by a hotel employee back to his room. Later, he was discovered wandering naked through public areas of the hotel, seeking a towel to cover himself, the investigation found, according to the Navy Times story.

When the two-star admiral returned to Scott Air Force Base, he checked himself into the drug and alcohol treatment program, he told investigators. He blamed his mistake of mixing alcohol and prescription medications for his lewd behavior and asked that his 34-year career not be judged on a single incident.

Transcom transferred Baucom to Fleet Forces Command in October. Adm. Phil Davidson, the FFC boss, found Baucom guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and disorderly conduct at a Nov. 20 admiral’s mast.

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Replacing military personnel in Defense Department support jobs with civilian employees could eventually save the federal government billions annually, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis, which is the subject of a story on the Defense One web site.

Converting 80,000 full-time jobs held by active-duty service members to civilian positions could yield between $3.1 billion and $5.7 billion per year in eventual savings, the nonpartisan CBO estimated. CBO analyzed compensation costs, including pay, health insurance, and other benefits that military personnel and civilian employees receive.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Roger That: Col. Earl Young, first commander of 18th Air Force, dies."