By Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
WASHINGTON (July 11, 2003) -- The former superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy will retire from active-duty service effective Sept. 1.
The announcement of Lt. Gen. John R. Dallager’s retirement came from Air Force officials at the Pentagon on July 10. It followed a decision by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. A written statement from the secretary included a stipulation that Dallager retire as a major general, which is with two stars instead of three.
Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Jr., formerly deputy director of current operations for the Joint Staff, took command at the academy July 9. Dallager has been reassigned to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
In the statement, Roche noted Dallager’s 34-year career, adding that the general had served the nation “with honor, integrity and distinction.” But he also said Dallager should have worked more aggressively to find solutions to a recent series of allegations of sexual assault.
“General Dallager did not exercise the degree of leadership in this situation that we expect of our commanders,” Roche said. “Consequently, we could not support his retirement in the grade of lieutenant general.”
Dallager graduated from the academy in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He is a command pilot with more than 2,900 hours in the F-4 Phantom II, A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-15 Eagle aircraft. He accumulated more than 600 combat hours over Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia and Bosnia.
