February 9, 2012 - When the leadership of Air Force Materiel Command changes later this year, the command will be led by a familiar face who will make Air Force history when she takes the reins of AFMC. 

On Monday, President Barack Obama nominated Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger to the rank of general, and as the next commander of AFMC. She will succeed Gen. Donald J. Hoffman whose retirement was also announced. A change of command date has not yet been announced. If confirmed by the Senate, General Wolfenbarger will become the Air Force's first female four-star general and will return to familiar surroundings at AFMC.  

"I am humbled and honored to have been nominated by the President to the rank of general and to serve as commander of Air Force Materiel Command. I look forward to participating in the Senate confirmation process when the time comes. At present, I remain focused on the important Air Force acquisition work I've been charged with," General Wolfenbarger said.

Before taking over her current position as the military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition at the Pentagon, General Wolfenbarger served as vice commander of AFMC from December 2009 to September 2011.

In making the announcement on behalf of Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said, "The secretary strongly supports the president's nomination, and he believes that General Wolfenbarger is an outstanding Air Force officer. The fact that she would be the first woman to wear a fourth star in the Air Force, if confirmed, is a testament to her skills, experience and dedication." 

The Beavercreek, Ohio, native is a 1980 Air Force Academy graduate and member of the first class with female cadets at the Academy. She holds master's degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. 

General Wolfenbarger began her career in acquisitions as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. She has held a variety of assignments at headquarters Electronic Security Command and Air Force Systems Command, one of the predecessor commands to AFMC. 

The general has held several positions in the F-22 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; served as the F-22 lead program element monitor at the Pentagon, and was the B-2 system program director for the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB. 

She commanded ASC's C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing and was the service's director of the Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence at the Pentagon, then served as director of the headquarters AFMC Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB. 

She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal. 

General Wolfenbarger received her third star in December 2009 and became the Air Force's highest-ranking woman in January 2010. General Wolfenbarger would become the military's second female officer to receive four stars behind Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, who was promoted to general in 2008.