The Seventh Air Force received its new commander Friday. Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson assumed command from Lt. Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, who will receive a fourth star and command Pacific Air Forces, during a ceremony presided over by Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of US Forces Korea, according to a release. In his new role, Bergeson, who previously served as legislative liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, will also serve as the deputy commander of United Nations Command Korea, deputy commander of US Forces Korea, and commander of the Air Component Command of Republic of Korea/US Combined Forces Command. “The Air Force general selected for this role carries a tremendous load for our alliance, and that is why this ceremony is special,” Brooks said, according to the release.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.