Kehler next at StratCom

U.S. Strategic Command built stronger ties to Offutt Air Force Base and its surrounding communities under Gen. Kevin Chilton, who announced Thursday that he's retiring.

To take his place, President Barack Obama has nominated Gen. Robert Kehler, an Air Force general with Offutt ties who runs the Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

Local leaders familiar with Kehler said they expect him to adopt a similar approach, working with the community to maintain StratCom's role at Offutt.

Keeping the command's headquarters and a robust number of its personnel at Offutt helps guard against any efforts to close the base — an important economic engine for the region.

Offutt, also home to the Air Force's 55th Wing, has an economic impact here of more than $2.6 billion, according to recent military estimates.

StratCom oversees the military's nuclear weapons, missile defense systems, space satellites and cyberspace mission.

One of Chilton's top priorities during his three years in charge has been the push for a new StratCom headquarters building at Offutt, with the current facility seen as inadequate for the command's expanding, high-tech missions. The military is expected to break ground on the new, half-billion-dollar headquarters in a couple of years.

“(Chilton's) focus on the new headquarters has been a real significant step to help the community retain that big military presence out at Offutt,” said David Brown, president of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

Megan Lucas, president of the Bellevue chamber, also singled out Chilton's dedication to the new headquarters.

“That's going to be, I believe, his legacy,” she said.

Chilton, a 55-year-old former astronaut, also fought to replace aging nuclear weapons and grappled with the ever-evolving threat of cyber attacks from hostile governments and computer hackers.

“Now it's time to close this chapter of my career and say thanks to all who have supported Cathy and me over the past three decades — what a wonderful experience it's been!” Chilton wrote in a letter announcing his retirement from a 34-year Air Force career.

Chilton played an important role in the New START arms control treaty with Russia because of his detailed understanding of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and what the country needs to defend itself, said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of its Strategic Forces Subcommittee.

“It was his knowledge of the subject matter that made it possible for negotiators to be able to work with their Russian counterparts to be certain that the numbers in the treaty were sufficient for our national security,” Nelson said.

Chilton pushed to bring annual conferences to town related to the base's missions on cyber security and global nuclear deterrence, and he received praise from chamber officials and members of Nebraska's congressional delegation for his involvements in the wider community.

They noted that he frequently attended local events and always was ready to listen to concerns.

“He's probably been one of the most personable and community-active commanders we've seen in a long time,” said Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb.

Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., commended the general for those relationships and “the excellent support he provided to our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

It's unclear when Chilton will step down or when Kehler, once confirmed by the Senate, would replace him. Neither could be reached Thursday for comment.

Kehler, 58, is no stranger at Offutt. He served a few months in 2007 as StratCom's deputy commander and interim leader.

Those who know the two men said they would expect Kehler to demonstrate a similar approach to the job as Chilton.

“They're both the kind of guy that you wouldn't mind sharing a beer with because they enjoy life and enjoy the circumstances they're in and I think both of them really like Omaha,” Brown said.

StratCom replaced its forerunner, Strategic Air Command, in 1992. It employs more than 3,300 people from every branch of the military. Some are headquartered at Offutt. Others are scattered at joint commands elsewhere.

StratCom has had seven commanders since 1992, most of whom served in the role for three or four years.

Chilton, the first astronaut to become a four-star general, took a colorful route to his StratCom post. He earned an engineering master's degree from Columbia University, flew planes at Air Force bases in Japan and joined NASA as an astronaut in 1988.

After flying three missions on the space shuttles Atlantis and Endeavor, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Air Force, eventually commanding a base in Louisiana.

He served in Kehler's current post — commander of Air Force Space Command — before taking over here in October 2007.

“Over the past 34 years, I've been blessed with so many tremendous opportunities to work alongside the finest men and women in the world,” Chilton wrote Thursday. “I'm especially proud of the dedicated professionals of United States Strategic Command who deliver Global Security for America every day.”

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