Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein announced the assignment of Brig. Gen. Patrick Doherty as commander of 19th Air Force at JBSA-Randolph, Texas. Doherty currently serves as commander of the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard AFB, Texas. He will replace Maj. Gen. James Hecker, who has led the numbered Air Force, which is responsible for training some 30,000 US and allied students each year, since June 2015.
Air Force senior statesmen explained the reasons they jointly sent a letter to Congress urging restoration of the E-7 Wedgetail and more F-35s to the fiscal 2026 defense budget.