U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R F O R C E
MAJOR ERNEST CAGE
Major “Nest” Cage has been a member of LOA since 2002 and has served as the Vice President of the Scott Gateway Chapter and as President of the Tinker Crossroads Chapter (the third largest in LOA at the time). Additionally, has been a contributing author and served as a staff writer for the Exceptional Release Magazine authoring the “CGO Corner” from 2006-2010. He is recipient of the 2009 Major General Mary Saunders Chapter Distinguished Service Award. Additionally, during his tenure as President of the Crossroads Chapter he shepherded the organization to win the Lieutenant General Donald J. Wetekam Chapter of the Year Award.
Major Ernest “Nest” Cage is currently assigned to the Office of Transformation Outreach in the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force. The core mission of the Transformation Outreach Office is to champion, review and refine initiatives, and ideas on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff, Under Secretary of the Air Force and Vice Chief of Staff that promote the most efficient and cost effective operation of the Air Force ensuring maximum readiness of Air Force weapon systems and Airmen.
Major Cage entered the Air Force in 2002 as a graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. He is a senior logistics readiness officer with experience in garrison and expeditionary logistics operations, depot aircraft/engine maintenance, and program management. Major Cage holds Level II Acquisition Professional Certifications in Program Management and Life Cycle Logistics. He is also a qualified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt and a Joint Qualified Officer.
During his most recent deployment to Afghanistan he played a lead role in drafting ISAF’s combined redeployment plan synchronizing the operational drawdown of more than 200,000 multinational personnel and $4 billon dollars in equipment.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Leadership, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 2004 Master of Arts degree in Business (Procurement/Acquisitions), Webster University, St. Louis, MO 2007 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Al 2009 Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 2011 Air Command and Staff College, Air University,(Correspondence), Maxwell AFB, Al 2014 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA 2014 Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course, USAF Expeditionary Center, JBMDL, NJ
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2002 – February 2004, Officer in Charge C-5 Spares Support Team, Air Mobility Command Regional Supply Squadron, Scott AFB, IL.
2. February 2004 - June 2005, Officer in Charge Logistics Readiness Management Branch and Division Executive Officer, Headquarters, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL
3. June 2005 - September 2006, Officer in Charge Aircraft and Passenger Services, later Air Terminal Operations Flight Commander, 734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen AFB, GU
4. September 2006 - July 2007, War Reserve Materiel Officer and Installation Deployment/Reception Officer, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Osan AB, ROK
5. July 2007 - April 2009, Student Officer, USAF Logistics Career Broadening Program, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK
6. April 2009 – March 2010, Executive Officer to the Commander, 76th Maintenance Wing, Tinker AFB, OK
7. March 2010- April 2011, Director of Operations, 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Southwest Asia.
8. April 2011-April 2014, Deputy Chief, Airlift Operations Branch, Logistics Readiness Division, later Command Transition Manager, Office of the Chief of Staff, then Lead Analyst, Commander’s Action Group, NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Naples, Italy
10. April 2014-Present, Branch Chief, Office of Transformation Outreach, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force, The Pentagon, VA
DEPLOYMENTS/EXERCISE SUPPORT
1. December 2004 – June 2005, Logistics Readiness Flight Commander, 40th Mission Support Squadron, 40th Air Expeditionary Group, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
2. May 2007-June 2007 PACAF Logistics Liaison Officer, Exercise COBRA GOLD, Jomtien, Thailand
June 2010-June 2010 Logistics Assessment Team Lead, E-3 AWACS Joint Cooperation Exercise, 3. Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
January 2013-July 2013, Coalition Joint Logistics Planner, then Aide de Camp to the Director of 4. Logistics (U.S. Army), Directorate of Coalition Joint Logistics, Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, Afghanistan
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal w/3 OLC Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/Campaign Phase Star Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korean Defense Service Medal Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon w/Gold Border 2009 Logistics Officer’s Association Major General Mary Saunders Distinguished Chapter Service Award 2014 Academic Dean’s Writing Award, Joint and Combined Warfighting School
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 11, 2002 First Lieutenant May, 29 2004 Captain May 29, 2006
Major July, 1 2012