LATEST UPDATE: Colonel McGee completed 136 combat missions as part of the all-African American fighter pilot unit, the Tuskegee Airmen, during WWII. He ended his 30-year Air Force career, including WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, as a command pilot with over 6,100 total hours and 409 combat missions, a record that still stands. In March, the Secretary of the Air Force filed a recommendation for the honorary promotion of Colonel McGee. House amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would promote retired Air Force Colonel Charles E. McGee to Brigadier General failed.  The passed Senate Bill was modified to give a general authorization to approve such actions in a revised Section 588. This is supposed to allow the AF to have the authority for the honorary promotion. So, the bill is now in Conference to work out differences between the House & Senate NDAA Bills and will require the House to agree to the Section 588 revised language or Senate agreement to the House specific language for the President to promote Colonel McGee.

If we want this to occur, and December 7, 2019 is Colonel McGee’s 100th Birthday, please now focus your attention on your Senator and Representative asking that they support the his promotion by either bill language. Find them at: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map