Retired Lt. Gen. Ramsay to address Cape Coral MOAA at March 14 breakfast
Current world affairs and the nation’s defense strategy will be the focus as the Cape Coral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America will welcome Lt. Gen. Mark F. Ramsay, USAF (retired), as the guest speaker at its Saturday, March 14, breakfast meeting, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Cape Royal Golf Course, 11460 Royal Tee Circle, Cape Coral.
Ramsay retired from the U.S. Air Force in October 2015 after 33 years of distinguished active-duty service, culminating a career that spanned operational command, senior Pentagon leadership and key NATO assignments. Since retirement, he has continued to serve national and allied security interests as a senior mentor for NATO, helping train alliance leaders in planning and multinational operations through 2021, and as a defense management expert with the Institute for Defense Analyses, advising partner nations on force resourcing and capability development.
A command pilot with nearly 5,000 flight hours, Ramsay earned his wings in 1983 and began his career flying the C-9A Nightingale medical evacuation aircraft. As a young officer, he flew special air missions from Andrews Air Force Base, transporting the first lady, vice president, cabinet officials and senior U.S. and foreign leaders. Over the course of his career, he flew a wide range of aircraft-from the KC-135 tanker to executive airlift and rotary-wing platforms-reflecting the breadth of his operational experience.
From lieutenant colonel through lieutenant general, Ramsay commanded at every level, including air refueling and expeditionary squadrons, the 89th Operations Group at Andrews AFB, an air refueling “super tanker” wing, and ultimately 18th Air Force, where he oversaw the majority of the Air Force’s airlift and air refueling forces worldwide.
In addition to his command assignments, Ramsay served in seven Pentagon positions across Air Force headquarters and the Joint Staff, focusing on force structure, mobility, defense policy and global resourcing. His senior joint and international roles included service at U.S. European Command in Germany and at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium, where he oversaw multinational military planning and operations at the strategic military level.
Ramsay’s remarks are expected to draw on his extensive experience in global mobility, joint force planning, multinational operations, and senior-level defense decision-making, offering MOAA members a rare perspective shaped by decades at the operational and strategic levels of national defense.
The breakfast cost is $12 per person and is open to not only Cape Coral MOAA members, but also former and retired U.S. military officers and senior noncommissioned officers.
Reservations are requested by calling Cindy Nolan at (618) 580-2368 or emailing her at capecoralmoaa@gmail.com.