Honor Guard supports retirement, appointment ceremonies to honor new, outgoing AF chiefs of staff

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WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  A retirement ceremony honoring Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and an appointment ceremony for Gen. Mark A. Welsh III will take place Friday, Aug. 10, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Joint Base Andrews, Md.

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard will provide the ceremonial support for the Air Force chiefs of staff.

Welsh, a 36-year Air Force veteran, will become the service's twentieth Air Force chief of staff. He most recently served as the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

His command was responsible for Air Force activities, conducted through 3rd Air Force, in an area of operations covering almost one-fifth of the globe. This area includes 51 countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and the Arctic and Atlantic oceans with a total population reaching nearly one billion people speaking more than 80 languages. He also had administrative control of U.S. Air Forces Africa, providing support, logistics and resources to U.S. Africa Command.

Schwartz will retire after a career spanning nearly four decades. As he left his office in the Pentagon for the final time Aug. 8, he was greeted by more than 200 Airmen and civilians who lined the hallways as a tribute.

Live coverage of the ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) via the Pentagon Channel. A simulcast of the ceremony can be found on the Pentagon Channel's web site: http://www.pentagonchannel.mil. The video feed will also be available on the Air Force official web site at: http://www.af.mil/live.asp. Viewing on the Air Force Portal will be available through a splash screen when you log in.

Social media users can follow the ceremony on the Air Force's Facebook and Twitter pages accessible from the Air Force's official web site, hashtag #CSAFretires and #NewCSAF.