President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach — the former head of Air Combat Command who had been slated to retire — to be the Air Force’s next chief of staff.
If confirmed by the Senate, Wilsbach will replace current chief of staff Gen. David Allvin. Allvin, who has served as the Air Force’s top uniformed officer for about two years, unexpectedly announced in August his plans to retire this fall. Chiefs of staff typically serve four years, and Allvin’s early retirement is unusual.
Wilsbach has served in the Air Force for four decades, and until last month commanded ACC, which controls the bulk of the Air Force’s fighter and other combat aircraft. He has since been on terminal leave and preparing for retirement, meaning he will not have to be recalled to active duty if confirmed as chief of staff. Trump’s choice to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, had retired and was recalled to service after Trump fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown.
Wilsbach is an experienced fighter pilot with more than 6,000 hours flying aircraft such as the F-15, F-16 and F-22. He flew 71 combat missions enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq and during Operation Enduring Freedom.
He also has extensive experience in the Indo-Pacific region, having served as commander of Pacific Air Forces and deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea. Wilsbach has also served as commander of NORAD’s Alaskan region and director of operations for U.S. Central Command.
Allvin said in his retirement announcement that he would leave in November and stay on as chief of staff until his successor was confirmed.
In a roundtable with reporters at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Space Cyber conference last week, Air Force Sec. Troy Meink indicated that the next chief of staff would be in place before Allvin retires.
“We’re not gonna not have a chief,” Meink said.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.