As commander, he was responsible for the recruiting, training and education of all United States airmen.

Air Education and Training Command consists of 12 bases, more than 70,600 active duty, reserve, guard, civilians and contractors, and 1,380 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft.

He served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Health and Human Services, as a professional staff member for the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, and as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the National Security Council.

Born in New Mexico on March 31, 1956,[3] and raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio,[4] Rice is a 1978 distinguished United States Air Force Academy graduate where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

In 2006, he attended a Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island Rice has flown more than 3,900 flying hours as a pilot in the B-1 Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress, E-3 Sentry, B-2 Spirit, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-130 Hercules, T-37 Tweet and T-38 Talon.