President Obama has nominated Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes to receive his fourth star and take over as commander of Air Combat Command, the Pentagon announced Thursday. If confirmed, Holmes would replace Gen. Hawk Carlisle, who has led ACC since October 2014. The Pentagon has not announced Carlisle’s next move, or if he will retire. Holmes currently serves as the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements for the Air Force. He is a command pilot with more than 500 combat hours in the F-15 and other aircraft, and previously served as the vice commander of Air Education and Training Command. Among his command positions is a stint as commander of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing in Afghanistan. The Pentagon also announced that Maj. Gen. Mark Kelly has been nominated to receive his third star and take over as commander of 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern). Kelly currently serves as the special assistant to the commander of ACC.
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…