General retires after 38 years of service

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Emily Hulse
  • 151st ARW/PA
SALT LAKE CITY --  Brig. Gen. Wayne E. Lee, Assistant Adjutant General for Air, retired December 3 following a Change of Command ceremony for the Utah Air National Guard State Headquarters.

Lee has been a member of the United States Air Force since 1968. Upon completing basic training, Lee spent part of his initial enlistment at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. He earned his commission through the Air National Guard's Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee, in 1984. Lee has served as the commander of the 106th Air Control Squadron from 1992 to 1995, and commander of the 299th Range Control Squadron from 1997 to 2004.

Lee said his service has been rewarding, and said the last 18 months he served as Assistant Adjutant General was the best part of his entire service.

"If someone had told me what was coming and what I would accomplish through an 18-month period, I would have said they were crazy," he said during the Change of Command ceremony.

The retirement ceremony was attended by Lee's family, including his wife, Tweet, and his father, Cecil, and close friends.

Maj. Gen. Bryan L. Tarbet, The Adjutant General for the Utah National Guard, said Lee's contributions to the UTANG have been invaluable to both the Air Force and to himself.

"I needed to get smarter about the Air Force," said Tarbet. "One of the guys that helped me learn about the Air Force was Wayne Lee. I appreciated that then, and I appreciate it now."

Lee said he will never forget the memories he has made over the course of his military career.

"Thank you for many years of service to your country and your state," said Lee. "I can now close this phase of my life with confidence and gratitude."

Lee was given a new mission by his wife Tweet during the ceremony, "Code Name: Honey-Do," which he will begin immediately.