President Obama tapped Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes for assignment as the Air Force’s next long-range planner, leading the Air Staff’s A8 office, according to the Defense Department. The Pentagon announced Holmes’ nomination to be deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs on May 9. Holmes has been serving since August 2013 as Air Education and Training Command’s vice commander at JBSA-Randolph, Texas. If the Senate approves this nomination, Holmes would replace Lt. Gen. Michael Moeller, who has led the A8 office since October 2012.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.