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.
Aircraft readiness will suffer if Congress does not approve some $1.5 billion worth of spare parts the Air Force requested in its annual Unfunded Priorities List, sent to Capitol Hill last week, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said.