General Ronald E. Keys, USAF (Ret.), Chairman of the Military Advisory Board (MAB) Corporation is in Colorado discussing the MAB's latest report, "Advanced Energy and U.S. National Security."
Click below to hear the decorated veteran talk about the connection between national security and energy insecurity:
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What is the Military Advisory Board?
The MAB is an elite group of retired 3 and 4 Star Generals from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps that study pressing issues of the day to assess their impact on America’s national security.
Who is General Keys?
General Ron Keys retired from the Air Force in November 2007 after a career of over forty years. His last assignment was as Commander, Air Combat Command, the Air Force’s largest major command, consisting of more than 1,200 aircraft, 27 wings, 17 bases, and 200 operating locations worldwide with 105,000 personnel. General Keys holds a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. General Keys is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft, including more than 300 hours of combat time.
No stranger to energy challenges, General Keys first faced them operationally as a young Air Force Captain, piloting F-4s during the fuel embargo of the 1970s. Later, as director of Operations for European Command (EUCOM), fuel and logistic supply provisioning were critical decisions during humanitarian, rescue, and combat operations across EUCOM’s area of responsibility including the Balkans and deep into Africa. As Commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and Commander of the U.S. 16th Air Force, similar hard choices had to be made in supporting OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH in Iraq as well as for combat air patrols and resupply in the Balkans. Later, as the director of all Air Force Air, Space, and Cyber mission areas as well as operational requirements in the early 2000s, he saw the impact of energy choices on budget planning and execution as well as in training and supporting operational plans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally, at Air Combat Command, he faced the challenge of organizing, training, and equipping forces at home and deployed to balance mission effectiveness with crucial energy efficiency. Continuing after retirement, he has advised the U.S. He is a member of The Center for Climate and Security's Climate and Security Working Group focused on developing policy options and encouraging dialogue and education on the issues. As a member of CNA's Military Advisory Board on DOD Energy Security and Climate Change projects, he is intimately familiar with the relationship of energy, military, economic, and national security.
General Keys owns RK Solution Enterprises, an independent consultancy. In addition to his energy portfolio, he is a senior advisor to the Bipartisan Policy Center, and a member of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Board of Trustees.