The retirement of Gen. Mark Welsh, whose Active Duty career officially ends July 1, means the presumptive 21st Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein is now USAF’s most senior uniformed officer. The Air Force will not appoint an “acting” Chief of Staff. Since Goldfein currently serves as the service’s vice chief of staff, under Title 10 of the US Code he will perform the duties of Chief of Staff until a successor is appointed, officials told Air Force Magazine. However, Goldfein is expected to be appointed shortly, after receiving support during his June 15 nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.