Gen. Paul Hester announced his retirement Friday, coincident with the Pentagon announcement that President Bush plans to nominate Lt. Gen. Howie Chandler to receive a fourth star and head Pacific Air Forces. Hester, who has commanded PACAF since July 2004, plans to formally retire on Jan. 1, 2008, but he expects to relinquish command sometime in November. Chandler, who currently serves as deputy chief of staff for air and space operations on the Air Staff, must obtain Senate confirmation for the PACAF post.
Clearing jungle and laying asphalt in tropical heat may not sound like fun to most people, but it’s a way of life for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Airmen, who have spent the past year or so restoring World War II-era airfields on the Pacific…