Lt. Gen. Richard Clark took command of the 3rd Air Force at Ramstein AB, Germany, on Friday. Clark, who previously commanded the the 8th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) at Barksdale AFB, La., and recently received his third star, replaced Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray, according to a US Air Forces in Europe release. Ray, who held the position since July 2015, will now serve as deputy commander for US European Command. USAFE chief Gen. Tod Wolters presided over the ceremony. “A year from now … when we have a ceremony like this and talk about the accomplishments of Lt. Gen. Clark, the promise is this; he will be the finest [numbered air force] commander this United States Air Force has ever seen,” he said, according to the release. In his new position, Clark will lead the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center, nine wings, and one expeditionary wing as well as nearly 35,000 personnel.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
