Potomac Institute BOR Member and Senior Fellow Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Recognizing His Contribution to SOC
Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster, USAF (Ret) spent his career determined to overcome aging aircraft and complex logistics, and his advocacy to improve SOF aerial capabilities was just one piece recognized during a Feb. 10 award ceremony.
The National Defense Industrial Association SO/LIC (Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict) Division presented the DeProspero Lifetime Achievement Award, one of its highest awards, Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, USAF (Ret), former Commander, AFSOC, during an annual awards banquet.
Lt. Gen. Wurster, former Commander, AFSOC, is a member of the Potomac Institute’s Board of Regents and a Senior Fellow.
According to an NDIA release, Lt. Gen. Wurster fought the battle of aging aircraft and complex logistics, succeeding as a spectacular advocate for game-changing SOF aerial capabilities without which the past dozen years of war could not have been won, to include the CV-22, unique types of mobility airframes, and the SOF UAV force.
The DeProspero Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes sustained, distinguished service of an individual who has made distinctive lifetime contributions with significant impact in the areas of Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflict, or Irregular Warfare. The Award is named for Colonel Albert A. DeProspero, a retired Army Special Forces Colonel who was a founding member and eventual Chairman of the NDIA SO/LIC Division, and a lifelong supporter of and advocate for the SO/LIC community.
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict forces will continue their worldwide missions despite the drawdowns in the Middle East and budgetary constraints. Our nation will need to support SO and LIC forces across vast distances, in inhospitable terrain, and with minimal U.S. support. Effective support of U.S. and partner-nation SO/LIC forces will require a network of government, industry, and international partners to leverage the capabilities of each and minimize cost.