Former Hill AFB colonel to be promoted

WASHINGTON — It's been less than a year since Col. Scott Dennis left Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing to work at the Pentagon.

On Monday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that President Barack Obama has nominated Dennis to become a brigadier general.

Dennis has been serving at the Pentagon as deputy director of air operations under an Air Force deputy chief of staff.

Dennis is a former fighter pilot, flight instructor and squadron commander. He spent one year as commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group at Balad Air Base in Iraq. Then, he spent two years as commander of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill, the Air Force's largest operational wing of Block 40 F-16s, with more than 70 planes.

He relinquished command of the 388th in July 2009 to Col. Scott Zobrist.

Dennis had to give up regular F-16 flights when he was assigned to the Pentagon, but he hoped, at the time, to help shape Air Force policies on unmanned aerial vehicles, which are playing a growing role in the Air Force's missions.

Dennis couldn't be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday.

— Joseph M. Dougherty