The Air Force announced Monday that Gen. Stephen Lorenz will be retiring after 37 years of uniformed service. He had led Air Education and Training Command since July 2008. Lorenz is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and is a command pilot, with more than 3,500 hours in the cockpits of various transport and tanker aircraft. Replacing him at AETC will be Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, whom the Senate on May 7 confirmed to receive a fourth star. Rice has led US Forces Japan and 5th Air Force since February 2008. (Randolph release)
Looking to make a quick start on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sweeping “FORTRESS America” program to make every military base in the U.S. more self sufficient, the Pentagon is dialing up its efforts in an area the Air Force has been working for several years: energy resilience and independence.