Gen. Paul Hester announced his retirement Friday, coincident with the Pentagon announcement that President Bush plans to nominate Lt. Gen. Howie Chandler to receive a fourth star and head Pacific Air Forces. Hester, who has commanded PACAF since July 2004, plans to formally retire on Jan. 1, 2008, but he expects to relinquish command sometime in November. Chandler, who currently serves as deputy chief of staff for air and space operations on the Air Staff, must obtain Senate confirmation for the PACAF post.
Poor event planning and staffing contributed to a fatal mishap last April at Kadena Air Base, Japan, when rotor wash from an HH-60W helicopter knocked over a Japanese teacher from a Department of Defense Education Activity school attending a public aerial demonstration, according to an Air Force investigation.
