Joe Donnelly: “today I rise to recognize and honor the extraordinary service of Col. Douglas J. Schwartz, 434th Air Refueling Wing…”

“today I rise to recognize and honor the extraordinary service of Col. Douglas J. Schwartz, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, and to wish him well upon his retirement. A dedicated and loyal public servant, Colonel Schwartz has served the people of Indiana and the United States in the U.S. Air Force for approximately 35 years. A command pilot, Colonel Schwartz has more than 4,200 flying hours, and his service includes deployments in support of U.S. military efforts in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A native of Fort Wayne, IN, Colonel Schwartz graduated from Purdue University and received his commission through the Air Force Officer Training School in 1981. Shortly thereafter, he entered pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, AZ, and was assigned to the 325th Bomb Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, WA. He transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1992 and flew KC-135R Stratotankers with the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron at Grissom. From October 1992 until March 2007, he held numerous command and leadership assignments at Grissom, including assistant chief pilot, chief of standardization and evaluation, operations officer, flight commander, and detachment commander.…”