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 now now goes to Conference to work out differences with the House NDAA Bill and will require the House to agree to the Section 588 revised language.

If we want this to occur, and December 7, 2019 is Colonel McGee’s 100th Birthday, please now focus your attention on your Representative (they are home on August recess) asking that they support the Conference result incorporating the Senate change to Section 588. Find them at: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map