Schwartz Nominated for AFSOC’s Order of the Sword

Air Force Special Operations Command’s enlisted corps nominated retired Gen. Norton Schwartz, former Chief of Staff, for induction into the command’s Order of the Sword. CMSgt. Bill Turner, AFSOC’s command chief, presented Schwartz with the nomination on Nov. 15 during Schwartz’s visit with his wife Suzie to Hurlburt Field, home of AFSOC headquarters. “We thank you for your 39 years of service,” said Turner. “For those 39 years, you and Mrs. Schwartz were our best teammates. . . . And because of you, we are the Air Force that we are,” added Turner. “We accept!” responded Schwartz to the nomination to the applause of the more than 300 air commandos gathered for the occasion, according to Hurlburt’s Nov. 16 release. Schwartz added, “Thank you very much for this special treat for Suzie and me.” Schwartz’s induction ceremony is slated for Feb. 1 in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The order is the highest honor that the enlisted force can bestow on senior military officers and civilians. During Schwartz’s career, he had several assignments at Hurlburt, including commanding the 16th Special Operations Wing (now the 1st SOW) from June 1995 to May 1997. (Hurlburt report by SrA. Joe McFadden)