President Obama has nominated Lt. Gen. Joseph Lengyel to serve as the next chief of the National Guard Bureau. If confirmed by the Senate, Lengyel, who currently serves as the National Guard Bureau vice chief, would pin on a fourth star and replace Army Gen. Frank Grass, who became chief in September 2012. Carter said Lengyel “has demonstrated strong and steady leadership” over the course of his more than three decades in the Air Force, according to an April 5 statement. The President also nominated Air Force Special Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold for assignment as principal deputy director of cost assessment and program evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. Lt. Gen. Brad Webb was nominated last month to replace Heithold at AFSOC. Maj. Gen. Maryanne Miller was nominated for a third star and for assignment as Chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command. If confirmed, Miller, who has served as deputy to the Reserve chief since October 2013, would replace Lt. Gen. JJ Jackson. Maj. Gen. Leon Rice, who currently serves as the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, also was nominated for a third star and assignment as director of the Air National Guard. If confirmed, Rice would replace Maj. Gen. Brian Neal, who has served as acting director since Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke retired in December.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.