Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, the general who led Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale AFB, La., from its infancy to full maturity over the past year, is retiring, Air Force officials announced Thursday. Klotz has been in charge of AFGSC since August 2009 (see Global Strike Command Reaches Full Operations, above). A 1973 Air Force Academy graduate, Klotz commanded at the squadron, group, wing, and numbered air force levels in ICBM and space operations during his 37-year career. Prior to taking the helm at Global Strike Command, he served as assistant vice chief of staff and, before that, as vice commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colo. Replacing Klotz will be Maj. Gen. James Kowalski, who has been Global Strike Command’s vice commander since August 2009. The Senate on Wednesday approved Kowalski’s promotion to the rank of lieutenant general for his new assignment.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?