New Chief of Chaplains Promoted

Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh promoted Brig. Gen. Howard Stendahl, the Air Force’s new chief of chaplains, to the rank of major general during a ceremony at JB Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. Major general is the highest rank an Air Force chaplain can attain, said service officials. “His dad taught him all about faith and love of country. His mom taught him the people who matter most in this world are the people who are kind hearted and steadfast,” said Welsh of now-Major General Stendahl during the Aug. 31 ceremony. Stendahl, continued Welsh, “combined those things into a desire to be a chaplain.” The two airmen served together from July 2007 to August 2008 when Welsh was vice commander of Air Education and Training Command and Stendahl was AETC’s command chaplain. During the ceremony, Stendahl, who entered the Air Force’s chaplain corps in 1985, thanked his wife and family for their support. (Washington, D.C., report by SSgt. Amanda Dick)