The Senate on Thursday confirmed Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach as the 24th chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, Breaking Defense reported.
Wilsbach will succeed Gen. David Allvin, who announced plans to retire in August.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink welcomed Wilsbach’s confirmation on X, saying, “With his vast experience in the Pacific and as a commander at all levels, he is the right leader for the [U.S. Air Force].”
President Donald Trump nominated Wilsbach for the role in September. His nomination was announced despite his prior plans to retire after nearly 40 years of active duty service.
“If confirmed, I intend to strengthen our warrior ethos and to build a more lethal force that is always ready to defend our homeland and deter our adversaries around the world,” Wilsbach said at the time of his nomination.
Who Is Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach?
Wilsbach most recently served as commander of Air Combat Command, overseeing the readiness and deployment of air, cyberspace and electromagnetic forces.
Before that, he was commander of Pacific Air Forces, air component commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and executive director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
The command pilot also served as deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea; commander of the Alaskan Region for North American Aerospace Defense Command; director of operations for U.S. Central Command; and commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force.
Wilsbach has logged more than 6,000 hours in multiple fighter aircraft and flown 71 combat missions during operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom.
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