President Donald Trump has nominated Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach to serve as the next chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a notice posted Monday on Congress.gov.
The nomination was submitted to the Senate and referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee for consideration. No nomination has been announced.
If confirmed, he will return to service after most recently serving as the head of the Air Combat Command (ACC), where he oversaw the organization responsible for training, equipping, and maintaining combat-ready forces across the air, cyberspace, and electromagnetic spectrum. In that role, he was responsible for enabling both rapid deployment and strategic air defense missions across a broad range of operational environments.
Wilsbach relinquished his command as head of the Air Combat Command to Gen. Adrian L. Spain. His return to service marks a rare, but not unprecedented move. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine also returned from retirement earlier this year to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Wilsbach’s previous assignments include commander of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), air component commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. At PACAF, he led Air Force activities spanning half the globe, supporting more than 46,000 Airmen across Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam.
If confirmed by the Senate, Wilsbach will succeed Gen. David W. Allvin, who announced his retirement on Aug. 18 – two years into what is traditionally a four-year term.
Allvin’s retirement ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 10.