Biden to Request $715 Billion for DOD, Eliminate the OCO Account

April 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

President Joe Biden will request $715 billion for the Pentagon in his first budget request in office, about a $10 billion increase from the 2021 enacted budget but below the sustained growth military officials have asked for.

Notably, Biden’s budget looks to do away with the “overseas contingency operations” fund, marking a significant shift in military funding. The OCO is intended to fund wartime operations, but critics have long lamented it’s nothing more than a slush fund for more defense spending. Biden wants to move that wartime funding back to the base budget.

Former President Donald J. Trump, for example, requested $705 billion in his last budget for the Pentagon, plus $69 billion in OCO funding. Congress appropriated $636.4 billion for the Pentagon’s base budget, $25.9 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy, and $69 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations account.

The White House Office of Management and Budget on April 9 released a “skinny” budget outline, with limited details of what to expect in the forthcoming overall budget request. Biden’s budget includes $753 billion total for national defense, including the Pentagon budget and other defense-related programs, such as the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committees defense panel, said the proposed 1.5 percent increase for the Department of Defense “will sustain readiness and modernization while we also focus on divesting from ineffective legacy programs and eliminating wasteful spending.”

“I applaud President Biden’s proposed budget for its strong and responsible investments in critical domestic priorities and essential national security needs,” McCollum added in a statement released April 9. “The President understands that the health, economic, climate, and equity crises facing our country must be addressed with bold action.”

OMB, in its statement, states the funding will “defend America and deter adversaries while ensuring America is positioned for strategic competition.” While it does not outline specific efforts, the administration said it will support “ongoing nuclear modernization programs,” which would include the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, while it also reviews the overall U.S. nuclear posture.

The administration also plans to divest “legacy systems and programs to redirect resources from low- to high-priority programs, platforms, and systems,” though OMB did not specifically mention which platforms would be affected. The Air Force has long tried to cut legacy aircraft, such as KC-10s and A-10s, to free up funding for newer systems.

“Some legacy force structure is too costly to maintain and operate, and no longer provides the capabilities needed to address national security challenges,” OMB states. “The discretionary request enables DOD to reinvest savings associated with divestitures and other efficiencies to higher priority investments.”

The budget would continue the military’s overall effort to focus on the threat from China as the DOD’s top challenge, while also deterring Russia, by funding the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and working closely with allies and partners in both the Pacific and in NATO.

The request will support DOD research and development, by prioritizing funding “to invest in breakthrough technologies that would drive innovation and underpin the development of next-generation defense capabilities.”

The Biden administration will invest in a “mix” of long-range strike capabilities, a sign that it will continue funding U.S. Army efforts in this area in addition to continued USAF programs.

“The discretionary request invests in the development and testing of hypersonic strike capabilities while enhancing existing long-range strike capabilities to bolster deterrence and improve survivability and response timelines,” the document states.

Additionally, the budget request will “ensure readiness” with funding for training, promote climate resilience, counter emerging biological threats, support military families, and optimize U.S. Naval shipbuilding, according to OMB.

The lack of funding growth when adjusted for inflation elicited quick criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill. In a joint statement, Sens. Jim Inhofe (Okla.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), and Richard Shelby (Ala.) said without more funding, China will out-compete the U.S.

“President Biden’s budget proposal cuts defense spending, sending a terrible signal not only to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow, but also to our allies and partners. Cutting America’s defense budget completely undermines Washington Democrats’ tough talk on China and calls into question the administration’s willingness to confront the Chinese Communist Party,” the senators wrote.

DOD Announces First Steps to Address Extremism After Stand Downs

April 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on April 9 announced interim steps to counter extremism in the ranks following Defense Department-wide stand downs to discuss the issue, including updating DOD guidance on what defines extremist behavior as well as questionnaires that prospective service members fill out.

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Austin ordered the stand downs and a review of DOD policies regarding extremism. Now, he has created a Countering Extremism Working Group to discuss future actions to continue to address the issue, the Pentagon announced.

The immediate actions that Austin ordered are:

Updating DOD Instruction 1325.06 to more specifically define “extremist behavior.”
Updating the Service Member Transition Checklist to include training on potential targeting of service members by extremist groups. Create a way for veterans to report any contact with an extremist group if they choose. Each military department will update and standardize the questionnaire to “solicit specific information about current or previous extremist behavior,” according to the release
Commission a study on extremist behavior in the total force, so the DOD can better understand the scope of the problem.

Bishop Garrison, the senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense on Human Capital and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will oversee the working group to look at mid- and long-term recommendations. The group will look at four lines of effort: military justice and policy, support and oversight of the insider threat program, screening capability, and education and training.

USAF Assesses Damage from Destructive Winter Storms

April 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Winter storms caused more than $4 million in damage to Air Force Global Strike Command bases, with 28 total Air Force installations impacted by the weather earlier this year.

The storms contributed to large-scale damage at multiple installations across the south in February, while heavy snow impacted operations at several bases. The storms come as the Air Force is assessing how it can better prepare its bases for extreme weather, through installation energy plans or resilience exercises.

“We’re continuing to assess damage and are committed to restoring facilities to full mission capability,” said Brig. Gen. John J. Allen Jr., commander of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, during a March 26 House Armed Services readiness subcommittee hearing.

AFGSC in an April 6 news release outlined the damage that several of its bases received during the winter storm: F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.; Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; and Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., took damage estimated from $20,000 to more than $1 million. The command estimates total damage to be more than $4 million.

Dyess was hardest hit, with more than $1.4 million in damage. AFGSC said installations in places such as Texas and Louisiana are not designed for temperatures that fall below zero, and suffered from burst pipes and other problems causing several issues, including loss of drinkable water. In response, civil engineers from six other Air Force bases came to Dyess to help by replacing drywall, fixing plumbing and heating, and repairing ventilation and air conditioning units, according to the release.

At northern missile bases such as F.E. Warren, heavy snow was the culprit. A March storm dropped more than 36 inches of snow, which impacted operations even though the installation is no stranger to heavy snow.

“AFGSC successfully withstood many challenges in the past year, and this storm is no different,” said Chief Master Sgt. Charles R. Hoffman, AFGSC’s command chief master sergeant, in the release. “Our Striker Airmen are resilient and remain ready. As with all challenges, during the storm they took care of the mission and each other. As we go forward, we will look at lessons learned and better prepare ourselves for the future.”

Allen, in testimony to the House panel, said recent storms such as these, along with the hurricane that caused immense destruction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in 2018 and heavy flooding at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., in 2019 showed that the Air Force needs to better prepare for threats from climate change as well as from potential adversaries.

“We must continually learn from these events and adapt to meet current and future threats to our installations posed by severe weather and climate, as well as physical or cyber-attacks,” he said.

Ellsworth B-1s Fly Direct to Aegean Sea

April 8, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Two B-1B Lancers returned to Europe for a bomber task force flight on April 7, shortly after USAF bombers returned home from the continent after a deployment.

The Lancers from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., flew directly to the Aegean Sea and returned home in a 12,000 nautical mile round-trip flight. During the mission, F-16s from Aviano Air Base, Italy, escorted the bombers before flying over the Aegean Sea, according to a U.S. Air Forces in Europe release. Photographs show the B-1s linking up with KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, England, during the mission.

“U.S. security commitments to the NATO alliance remain ironclad,” said Maj. Gen. Lance Landrum, U.S. European Command director of operations, in a release. “Today’s Bomber Task Force mission is another in a long list of examples of how America’s military forces sustain readiness, improve interoperability, and demonstrate our nation’s ability to deliver on commitments from across the Atlantic.”

The flight comes about two weeks after B-1s from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, completed a Bomber Task Force deployment to Norway—a first for the bomber. During the deployment, the bombers flew with 11 allies and partner nations in Europe and the Arctic, landed in Poland for the first time, and conducted the first hot-pit and warm-pit refuels in the theater, according to a Dyess release. At the same time, B-2s from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., deployed to Lajes Field, Portugal, as part of the USAFE bomber task force.

USSF Unveils Space Systems Command’s Structure

April 8, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Space Force’s new Space Systems Command will oversee the new service’s acquisition and launch services under one command, with the soon-to-be-former Space and Missile Systems Center serving as its headquarters.

Space Systems Command, one of three commands within the Space Force, will officially stand up this summer after a commander is nominated and confirmed. SMC’s current offices at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., will be the headquarters, and launch operations at Patrick Space Force Base, Fla., and Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., will be realigned under the SSC.

The overall goal of the organization is to acquire and launch space systems more quickly. The SSC will work directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory and other groups like the Rapid Capabilities Office.

“We have to go fast,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond said during an April 8 press conference. “It is a national imperative that we go fast.”

Under the new design, SSC will be commanded by a three-star general with a two-star deputy who will serve as the “assured access to space leader” overseeing the launch enterprise. Once officially stood up, more units from the Air Force and personnel from other services will re-designate to part of the SSC. There will not be any geographic moves of units as part of the establishment, and current SMC boss Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson said the change is intended to be resource neutral.

The announcement comes about a year and a half after SMC redesigned itself into SMC 2.0 with the goal of acquiring space systems faster. There are about 6,000 personnel in SMC now, and once the launch bases are realigned under SSC, the command will grow to between 10,000-11,000, Thompson said.

Additional changes include:

The 61st Air Base Group at Los Angeles Air Force Base will be redesignated the Los Angeles Garrison.
The 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg will become Space Launch Delta 30 and the 45th Space Wing at Patrick will become Space Launch Delta 45.
SLD 45’s commander will be a one-star USSF general, director of the eastern range, SSC operations director, and acquisition lead for the “range of the future.”
Group-level organizations at the 30th and 45th SW will inactivate, with subordinate units aligning under the Deltas.
The 45th Range Squadron at Patrick will be redesignated the 1st Range Operations Squadron, and the airfield management and maintenance responsibilities will be transferred to the 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
AFRL unit manpower and funding that perform space science and technology functions will be administratively controlled by SSC, but will stay aligned to AFRL.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division will move to SSC.
SSC will provide select support to the Space Rapid Capabilities Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
SSC will provide administrative and integration support to the Space Development Agency when it transfers from the Defense Department to the Space Force in October 2022.

DOD Struggling to Improve Readiness in Every Domain

April 8, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

The Defense Department has regained some lost readiness after two decades of continuous combat, but still has more work to do, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

“Nearly two decades of conflict has degraded U.S. military readiness,” wrote report author Diana Maurer, GAO’s director of Defense Capabilities and Management.

The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act required the Pentagon to track readiness by domain—air, land, sea, space, and cyber—rather than by individual service branch. GAO found readiness improved for land forces, decreased for sea forces, and was mixed in air, space, and cyber. The public report released April 7 is thin on specifics, however, as much of the data included in the classified version provided to Congress was redacted.

For the air domain, for example, researchers looked at:

Bombers—B-1, B-2, and B-52
Fighters—F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, and F-35
Air Refuelers—KC-10, KC-130, and KC-135
Combat helicopters—AH-64, AH/UH-1, and HH-60.

Among 19 mission areas reviewed from fiscal 2017 to 2019, resource readiness improved in 10, including missions in every domain except for sea. However, mission capability readiness improved in only five of the 19, all in the land domain. Mission capability readiness ratings declined overall in the sea, air, space, and cyber domains, according to the report.

Resource readiness measures the unit commander’s assessment of their organization’s ability to undertake the wartime or primary missions for which the unit is organized or designed. Called C-levels, they measure four distinct resource indicators—personnel, equipment availability,
equipment readiness, and how well the unit is trained.

Mission capability readiness measures how unit commands evaluate
the readiness of forces to accomplish assigned and potential tasks, under conditions specified in their joint mission-essential task list. This assessment is measured on a three-step scale: “Y,” or “yes;” “Q” or “qualified yes;” and “N,” or “no.”

The Air Force cited catastrophic damage from Hurricane Michael and “associated infrastructure limitations” on its F-22 fighters as some of its biggest readiness challenges, while the Army cited pilot shortages—especially for the AH-64 attack helicopter. The Marine Corps blamed problems plaguing its light attack helicopters on “limited depot repair capacity.”

Space presented a different set of challenges, especially the fact that readiness reporting is not required for all space units. The lack of “clear readiness goals for space units,” and “unit-level readiness reporting not accurately conveying the readiness of key space capabilities” make calculating space readiness extremely difficult, the report said.

Limited maintenance capacity at both private and public shipyards was the biggest hurdle in the Navy’s efforts to recover readiness.

The Defense Department largely agreed with the findings.

DOD Increasing COVID-19 Vaccines for OCONUS Personnel, Families

April 8, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon expects all Defense Department personnel to be able to make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine by April 19, and all overseas personnel and beneficiaries will be able to get the shot by May as deliveries ramp up.

Because overseas personnel and families have limited options to receive a vaccine—unlike those serving within the United States, they must use on-base facilities—there has been concern about the ability to get a shot, said Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, the director of the Defense Health Agency, during an April 8 briefing. In response, the Pentagon is distributing 14 percent of its total vaccines to locations outside of the continental United States, where 7 percent of eligible personnel are stationed.

“We expect that we will be able to deliver at least an initial dose to every eligible OCONUS person who wants one by the middle of May,” Place said.

One complicating factor has been a recent production mistake at a Johnson & Johnson facility in Baltimore, which resulted in a batch of 15 million doses being ruined. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which does not require cold storage and is easier to ship, has been the priority for OCONUS locations. Now the Pentagon is working to increase Moderna and Pfizer vaccine shipments abroad.

“We are actively exploring other means to offset this temporary shortage,” Place said.

Within the Air Force, the department has delivered 499,683 vaccines to more than 125 sites worldwide, said Maj. Gen. Robert I. Miller, the director of medical operations in the Air Force Office of the Surgeon General. Of those, 444,083 doses have been administered, he said.

In the past three weeks, Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Air Forces in Europe have been prioritized since the two major commands have the highest percentage of personnel receiving the vaccine compared to other MAJCOMs. As of April 4, 35 percent of the 53,000 eligible personnel in USAFE have received at least one dose, with 22 percent fully vaccinated. In PACAF, 26 percent of the 109,000 eligible personnel have received at least one dose and 20 percent have been fully vaccinated, he said.

Because off-base options don’t exist for these personnel, the Air Force wants to keep these MAJCOMs as the “focus for vaccine distribution,” he said. For example, in February the Air Force delivered 6,500 Moderna doses to USAFE, and is now expecting to deliver 11,000 this month. The Air Force is also planning to ship more Pfizer doses to overseas locations as they become available for 16- to 17-year-olds, Miller said.

“The readiness of our force, including our Air and Space Force families, is our No. 1 priority,” Miller said.

USAF Unveils New Mission Statement

April 8, 2021 | By Tobias Naegele

The Air Force’s new mission statement is familiar, all-encompassing, and joins two parallel aspects of the service’s 74-year history: “To fly, fight, and win … Airpower anytime, anywhere.”

The new mission statement focuses on air alone, now that the Space Force is independent, and emerged from consultations with a spectrum of Airmen representing Active, Guard, and Reserve members in both the enlisted and officer ranks, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. in a release.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass said the mission statement will help join the entire force of more than 689,000 Airmen, regardless of whether their core mission is air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; or command and control.

“Every Airman, from every career field, is directly responsible for delivering, supporting, launching, and driving air power,” Bass said in the release.

Air Force Association President and retired Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright said the mission statement joins two central concepts and themes that have carried the Air Force forward throughout its history. “Flying, fighting and winning is the combat goal, it’s what Airmen do,” he said. “But that is underscored by the imperative of what our Air Force contributes to our nation’s security: Delivering unparalleled air power, any place, any time, no matter the risk or obstacles before us. This is possible because of the commitment, readiness, and professionalism of our Airmen and the unwavering support of their families.”

Air Force Announces 43 General Officer Moves

April 8, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

Acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth announced a host of new general officer assignments on Aug. 6, including new commanders for Second and Eighth Air Forces.

They include:

Maj. Gen. Michele C. Edmondson will be assigned as commander, 2nd Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. Edmondson is currently serving as commandant of cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman will be assigned as the director, plans, and programs, J-5, Headquarters U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany. Ekman is currently assigned as deputy commander, operations and intelligence, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia.
Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara will be assigned as the commander, Eighth Air Force; and commander, Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Gebara is currently assigned as director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt will be assigned as chief of safety and commander, Air Force Safety Center, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Leavitt is currently serving as director, operations and communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
Maj. Gen. Aaron M. Prupas will be assigned as director of defense intelligence for warfighter support, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Prupas is currently serving as director, intelligence and information, J-2, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Maj. Gen. Andrea D. Tullos will be assigned as deputy commander, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Tullos is currently serving as commander, Second Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
Maj. Gen. (select) Michael L. Downs will be assigned as deputy director, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations; and director, Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations Center, J-32, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Downs is currently serving as vice director, intelligence, J-2, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Maj. Gen. (select) Thomas K. Hensley will be assigned as deputy director, operations, National Security Agency, Fort George Meade, Md. Hensley is currently serving as director, J-2, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Combined, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
Maj. Gen. (select) Michael E. Martin will be assigned as commanding general, Special Operations Command Korea, U.S. Special Operations Command, Camp Kim, Yongsan Garrison, South Korea. Martin is currently serving as director, operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Maj. Gen. (select) Clark J. Quinn will be assigned as assistant deputy commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command; and assistant vice commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. Quinn is currently serving as deputy director, plans and policy, DJ5, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Maj. Gen. (select) Daniel H. Tulley will be assigned as vice director, joint force development, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Tulley is currently serving as commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Air Combat Command, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Brig. Gen. David W. Abba will be assigned as director, Department of Defense Special Access Programs Central Office; and director, Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Abba is currently serving as director, F-35 Integration Office, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Amrhein will be assigned as vice commander, 19th Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Amrhein is currently serving as inspector general, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Brig. Gen. Jason R. Armagost will be assigned as director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Armagost is currently serving as director, operations and communications, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
Brig. Gen. Charles D. Bolton will be assigned as chief, Global Operations Center, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Bolton is currently serving as deputy director, operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Brig. Gen. Julian C. Cheater will be assigned as commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan; deputy commander, air, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan; commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; and director, Air Forces Central Command Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan. Cheater is currently serving as deputy director, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations; and director, Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations Center, J-32, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Brenda P. Cartier will be assigned as director, operations and communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. Cartier is currently serving as vice commander, 19th Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
Brig. Gen. Matthew W. Davidson will be assigned as director, operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. Davidson is currently serving as deputy commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
Brig. Gen. Eric P. Delange will be assigned as director, cyberspace operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Delange is currently serving as director, cyberspace operations, Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Russell D. Driggers will be assigned as director, air, space, and cyberspace operations, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Driggers is currently serving as deputy commander, NATO Mission Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey H. Hurlbert will be assigned as commandant, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. Hurlbert is currently serving as deputy inspector general of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. John M. Klein Jr. will be assigned as chief of staff, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Klein is currently serving as director, Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, U.S. Central Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Brig. Gen. Laura L. Lenderman will be assigned as director, operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Lenderman is currently serving as director, plans, programs, and requirements, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
Brig. Gen. Joseph D. McFall will be assigned as senior military advisor to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, Department of State, Washington, D.C. McFall is currently serving as assistant deputy commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command; and assistant vice commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
Brig. Gen. Albert G. Miller will be assigned as director, training and readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Miller is currently serving as chief of staff, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Brig. Gen. David A. Mineau will be assigned as vice commander, Fifteenth Air Force, Air Combat Command, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. Mineau is currently serving as director, current operations, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Paul D. Moga will be assigned as commandant of cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. Moga is currently serving as deputy director of operations, U.S. Northern Command, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Brig. Gen. Paul J. Murray will be assigned as deputy director of operations, J-3, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Murray is currently serving as inspector general, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Brig. Gen. Derek J. O’Malley will be assigned as deputy commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region; and deputy Combined/Joint Force Air Component commander for the 1st Canadian Air Division, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. O’Malley is currently serving as commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
Brig. Gen. Evan L. Pettus will be assigned as vice commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Air Combat Command, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Pettus is currently serving as commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Brig. Gen. Neil R. Richardson will be assigned as deputy director, operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Richardson is currently serving as chief, Air Force Senate Liaison Office, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Jennifer M. Short will be assigned as deputy director, strategic planning and policy, J-5, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Short is currently serving as chief of staff, Pacific Air Forces, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
Brig. Gen. Ernest J. Teichert III will be assigned as assistant deputy to the under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs, Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Teichert is currently serving as senior defense official and defense attaché-Iraq, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Claude K. Tudor Jr. will be assigned as chief of staff, Pacific Air Forces, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Tudor is currently serving as director, Integrated Resilience Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Parker H. Wright will be assigned as director, intelligence and information, J-2, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Wright is currently serving as director, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. (select) Tad D. Clark will be assigned as director, electromagnetic spectrum superiority, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Clark is currently serving as senior executive officer to the vice chief of staff, U.S. Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. (select) George T.M. Dietrich III will be assigned as director, logistics, engineering and force protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Dietrich is currently serving as deputy director, resource integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. (select) Melissa S. Cunningham will be assigned as director, cyberspace operations, Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Cunningham is currently serving as chief, Cyberspace Operations Branch, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. (select) Brian S. Hartless will be assigned as deputy director, resource integration, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Hartless is currently serving as commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
Brig. Gen. (select) Debra A. Lovette will be assigned as director, Integrated Resilience Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Lovette is currently serving as director, Executive Action Group, Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. (select) Robert A. Masaitis will be assigned as chief innovation officer and deputy director, integration and innovation, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Masaitis is currently serving as commander, 27th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M..
Brig. Gen. (select) Michael A. Miller will be assigned as director, operations and communications, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Miller is currently serving as chief of staff, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
Brig. Gen. (select) Max E. Pearson will be assigned as director, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Pearson is currently serving as senior military assistant to the under secretary of defense for intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.