505th CCW dedicates building to Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Short

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Members of the 505th Command and Control Wing recognized the career of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Short during a building dedication ceremony Dec. 12, here.

Short, an Air Force Academy graduate who retired from the Air Force in 2000, dedicated more than 50 years of service to the Air Force.

During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harris, the vice commander of Air Combat Command, spoke about Short’s commitment to the Air Force.

“Lt. Gen. Short is undoubtedly a hero,” said Harris. “When it comes to air power history and theory, this man leads the way, and we will stand on his shoulders for decades to come.”

Following his active-duty service, Short served 16 years as a highly qualified expert-senior mentor with the 505th CCW, preparing an entire generation of Airmen for leadership at the operational level of war.

“[Short] has had an impact on hundreds of senior leaders and tens of thousands of Airmen throughout those years,” said Col. Bryan Gates, the commander of the 505th CCW. “Dedicating the building was our way of giving back to a man whose dedication to the nation, service and the 505th CCW is truly remarkable.”

For Short, the building dedication goes beyond his personal accomplishments.

“Certainly on a personal note this is a great recognition for me and my family, but more importantly this is recognition of the importance of the senior mentor program and what it has meant to the Air Force for the past 16 years,” he said. “It recognizes the contribution that a group of old men have made, and the impact I think that we’ve had.”

Short mentored students in 165 senior-level classes on Hurlburt as part of the 505th CCW’s Air Force Senior Staff Courses, Joint Senior Staff Courses and the Combined Joint Force Air Component Commander courses.

“This building dedication symbolizes not just the building, but the training, strategy and ideas born within it,” Gates said.