Feature: Two Air Force generals are true brothers in arms

Published Sept. 17, 2015
By Amy Rollins
Skywrighter Staff

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- For about 45 days, the Air Force has two Brig. Gen. Holts in service to the nation.

In a ceremony Sept. 14, 2015, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt, deputy, U.S. Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, assisted with the pin-on ceremony of his younger brother Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt, commander, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Materiel Command, as he received his first star. The new general assumed command two weeks ago.

Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt plans to retire soon. Another brother, Glen Holt Jr., served in Vietnam and their father, Glen Holt, served in World War II as a Navy Seabee in the Philippines.

Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt's promotion was effective Sept. 2, but the ceremony was delayed by his brother's double-knee replacement.

This is not the first time Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt has played an integral part in his brother's career -- he commissioned him as a second lieutenant into the Air Force.

"To be able to catch this before I step into my civilian life is really quite an honor for me," Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said.

He said each brother's career path has complemented the other's and been a large part of their success.

"Cameron, in his contracting background, represents a lot of the business/industrial elements of the Air Force and then me, with my air mobility background on the operational side. ... The two of us have learned so much about the Air Force, and that's what's neat."

The two have consulted each other on the occasions when they have had questions the other could answer from his experience, Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said.

"I get a perspective that few can get because I'm calling my own brother. The education I've received has been invaluable," he said.

Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt concurred, saying, "Having a brother, a trusted agent, in the operations side of the Air Force and learning from him has given me and the organizations I've been a part of more credibility."

The brothers' careers have directly connected, too. After Sept. 11, 2001, Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt was sent into forward areas bordering Afghanistan as part of an airfield survey team that was ultimately responsible for securing a base in Manas, Kyrgyzstan. In 2009, Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt became the commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas Transit Center, at that same location.

The new general said he was grateful that his brother "started my Air Force career and is starting my journey as a general officer as he retires from active duty."

The brothers share a love of country, a desire to win, a sense of honor and a humble attitude for the opportunities they've been given, the new general said.

"Staying humble, staying hungry is kind of the leadership tenet of this family," the elder brother said. He praised his brother for his "weapons of passion, logic, leadership and family."

Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt said he is enthusiastic about his new command of AFICA, where he previously served as director of staff. The 810-personnel agency has a total contract portfolio of $33 billion and is responsible for finding strategic sourcing opportunities within the Air Force. His organization also provides contracting solutions across eight major commands with combined annual obligations of $3.9 billion and has a warfighting role with the capability to stand up a Joint Theater Support Contracting Command in support of expeditionary operations worldwide.

"It's a very cool mission. We do both peacetime contracting and wartime contracting," he said. "In addition, we're involved with thinking through how to buy things smarter for the Air Force. That's something we call enterprise sourcing."

The general said he is looking forward to integrating AFICA into the new Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center organization and increasing the responsiveness of the contracting process.

"As we do that, there are new opportunities as we are in the same command as many of our customer organizations. That offers some very powerful opportunities to do things more efficiently and a lot smarter for the warfighter so our dollars go further," Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt said. "That's what we're all about."

The pin-on portion of the ceremony was done by the new general's family while his elder brother looked on. Afterward, Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt received his first salute from members of the 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron to symbolize all the men and women he has served with during his career. The honorary leader of the formation was retired Senior Master Sgt. Neil Cole, a Vietnam veteran who served under Brig. Gen. Holt when he was a squadron commander.

A joint qualified officer with multiple deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt previously served for three years as F-22 procuring contracting officer, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center.

His major awards and decorations include the Bronze Star medal, Defense Meritorious Service medal, Air Force Meritorious Service medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation medal with two oak leaf clusters and Air Force Achievement medal with oak leaf cluster.