Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Air Forces Central Command, has been tapped to be the next deputy commander of US Central Command, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. President Obama nominated Brown who, if confirmed, will leave his current post where he oversees the air war against ISIS. Brown is a command pilot who has flown more than 2,890 hours in several aircraft, including the F-16, AC-130, and all three bombers. Obama has also nominated Maj. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach to the rank of lieutenant general and to be commander of Alaska Command and 11th Air Force at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Wilsbach, who is currently the director of operations for US Central Command, would replace Lt. Gen. Russell Handy, who has served in the position since August 2013.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
