Air Force chief announces he's leaving post early

Desmond Milligan · August 18

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday that he plans to retire in the fall, a surprise move just halfway into his four-year term atop the military service.

Allvin made the announcement in a statement, and did not give a specific reason for leaving. He said that while he plans to retire in November, he will serve until a replacement is confirmed.

Allvin is the fourth U.S. military service chief to depart since President Donald Trump took office. In January, Trump directed the firing of Coast Guard commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, and in February, he fired Gen. C.Q. Brown as chair of the joint chiefs of staff and removed Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.

In a statement, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said he was “forever grateful” for his partnership with Allvin.

Allvin had emerged as a vocal supporter of the reforms that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have pledged for the military, focused on modernization of weapons and equipment and trimming down the workforce.

One senior Air Force officer expressed surprise at the announcement, saying there were no signs or rumors of his stepping down so early. “I don’t know what this is about — he’s a great leader and this is going to be another transition in the building that has seen plenty of it recently."

Allvin’s departure comes six months after Hegseth dismissed Gen. James Slife as the Air Force’s vice chief of staff. Gen Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, has been nominated for that job.

Allvin’s retirement will mark the shortest tenure of an Air Force chief in over three decades. Gen. Michael Dugan was dismissed in 1990 after just two years on the job for speaking too loosely about targeting Iraqi government officials and civilians in the run-up to the 1991 Gulf War.

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