General Steve Lyons is the Commander, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, one of ten Combatant Commands under the Department of Defense. USTRANSCOM’s mission is to project and sustain military power, enable global reach, and provide a full range of flexible and responsive options to national leadership while presenting multiple dilemmas for potential adversaries.
General Lyons has extensive leadership experience spanning 35 years of military service. He began his career in Germany during the Cold War and subsequently held a wide range of assignments to include command of troops at every level, multiple operational deployments, and over 6 years of experience in joint assignments. As a battalion commander in 2003, he led more than 1200 Soldiers as part of the 3d Infantry Division’s ground assault to liberate Baghdad. Since 2003, he has spent more than 40 months deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). He also served as the 14th USTRANSCOM deputy commander from 2015-2017.
A native of Rensselaer, New York, General Lyons graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Army in 1983. He holds two master’s degrees, one from the Naval Postgraduate School in logistics management (1993); and a second from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in national resource strategy (2005). His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Master Parachutist Badge.