A Luke Air Force Base, Arizona Airman was granted the first court-ordered child custody assignment recently, just one day after the application process opened.
Master Sgt. William Rotroff, an F-35 integrated section chief with the 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was notified that his application was approved less than 24 hours after he submitted his package.
"I was in shock," Rotroff said. "I know the assignment process is busy, with a lot of moving parts. I'm just so grateful to the assignments team and everyone that was involved with making this happen."
Rotroff's commander, Maj. Joseph Langan, said he had the honor of delivering the good news in person and that Rotroff was overjoyed.
"One of the greatest parts about being a squadron commander is that I have the ability and authority to fix many problems for my Airmen relatively quickly," Langan said. "Sometimes the problems are messy and have complex solutions, but this was one of the easiest and most satisfying wins I've had during my time in command."
Rotroff said he found himself in a unique position when his overseas orders cancelled unexpectedly, after he already helped relocate his ex-wife and their four-year-old son to Florida, where she would have a stronger support system in his absence.
He remembered the Air Force recently announced a change in policy
