The Air Force has confirmed to the Daily Report that Gen. Duncan McNabb, the Air Force vice chief of staff, will serve as Acting Chief of Staff when Gen. Michael Moseley steps down. McNabb will bridge the gap between Moseley and the presumptive new CSAF, Gen. Norton Schwartz. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended Schwartz for the service’s top uniformed position, but the White House has yet to send the nomination to the Senate. Michael Donley is now Acting Secretary of the Air Force; the White House hasn’t yet put his name before the Senate Armed Services Committee either. McNabb has been recommended to take Schwartz’s spot at US Transportation Command, once the dust settles.
Fixing the Air Force’s chronic combat pilot shortage will require more aircraft in the fleet, more flying hours to squadron operations, and retaining more pilots within Reserve components, according to a new paper from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.