President Joe Biden has chosen the Air Force’s possible next top officer after tapping the current Air Force Chief of Staff to serve in the Joint Chiefs chairman’s role, the Congressional record shows.
The White House notified Congress of its intent to nominate Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin on Tuesday, the record shows, although Biden has yet to formally announce the nomination. If confirmed, Allvin would replace Gen. Charles Brown as the service’s highest-ranking military officer, but he faces hurdles amid the backlog of senior officers awaiting Senate confirmation due to a hold over a Department of Defense (DOD) abortion policy.
Biden tapped Gen. Charles Brown in May to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff once Gen. Mark Milley retires at the end September.
Allvin, a career pilot with logging hours in test, cargo and refueler aircraft, will have to find a way to address the Air Force’s pilot shortage, manage major overhauls in weapons programs, replace aging fleets and further research and development into the cutting-edge technology his predecessor championed, according to Politico. (RELATED: Biden To Pick Female Admiral For Top Navy Officer, Going Against Defense Department Recommendation)
He previously served as director for policy, plans and strategy on the Joint Staff, commanded units in Afghanistan and Europe and led the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
After Russia annexed the Crimea in 2014, Allvin drew up detailed war plans for European Command, landing him a job as the vice director for plans on the Joint Staff in 2018, The Air Force Times reported.
Biden also nominated State Department official Derek Chollet Tuesday to take a senior position in DOD civilian leadership as the top leader on policy and planning, according to a White House release.
He also chose Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to move into Gen. Eric Smith’s position as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Politico reported. Smith is currently filling the roles of both acting and assistant commandant, as the Marine Corps previous commandant retired earlier in July.
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has blocked Senate confirmations for the military’s general and flag officers since at least March. Now, more than 270 top officers are awaiting confirmation while DOD officials continue to emphasize what the agency perceives as pitfalls in Tuberville’s strategy.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin spoke to a group of wing commanders at the Wing Command Team Course at Air University on Maxwell Air Force Base where he stressed the importance of accelerating change, taking care of Airmen & families, and critical leadership. pic.twitter.com/xnixoe53qO
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) June 12, 2023
“These military and civilian leaders are currently held up in the United States Senate by Senator Tuberville and as this list of nominees grows, we’re continuing to see the impacts on our readiness and national security,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrinah Singh said at a briefing Tuesday.
The White House, Pentagon and Air Force did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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