Undersecretary of the Air Force Lisa Disbrow will be “performing the duties of” the Secretary of the Air Force until a new Secretary is nominated and confirmed, but she will not carry the title “Acting Secretary,” Pentagon officials said Thursday. They could not explain the distinction between the two terms. Moreover former USAF Secretary Deborah Lee James will be “facilitating the transition” to a new Secretary, but it was unclear whether that means she will continue on at the Pentagon past Jan. 20. Neither Air Force public affairs nor Office of Secretary of Defense public affairs could provide an official comment.
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.
