Gen. Howie Chandler received Senate confirmation June 19 to become the vice chief of staff of the Air Force. No one has yet been named to succeed Chandler at Pacific Air Forces, which he has commanded since November 2007. The Senate also confirmed in their new roles: Maj. Gen. (to Lt. Gen.) Gilmary Hostage III, Maj. Gen. (to Lt. Gen.) William Lord, and Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears. Hostage, who has been serving as PACAF vice commander, is to replace Lt. Gen. Gary North as head of Air Forces Central, while a yet-to-be-named two star will lead the at-home 9th Air Force. Lord would leave his post as commander of Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) to replace Lt. Gen. William Shelton as chief of warfighting integration and chief information officer on the Air Force Secretariat. (The provisional Cyber Command is to be replaced by 24th Air Force when it stands up this fall under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Richard Webber.) Spears will take command of 12th Air Force, replacing Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, who plans to retire.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
