Metcalf served for almost 36 years on active duty before retiring in 1991.
The Air Force has not yet announced a successor to Metcalf as the museum’s director. But a likely choice is John L. “Jack” Hudson, 60, who became the museum’s deputy director in December 2009 in what was then a new position. Hudson, a retired lieutenant general, had retired in October 2009 as commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The director oversees what the Air Force describes as the world’s oldest and largest military aviation museum, which preserves and portrays the service’s heritage and tradition through specialized exhibits.
The director provides technical and professional guidance to the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program that includes 12 Air Force field museums and 260 domestic and international heritage sites. He also is responsible for ensuring accountability for at least 6,000 historic artifacts and aerospace vehicles on loan to museums, municipalities and veterans’ organizations worldwide, the Air Force said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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