New Commanders for 12th, 8th Air Forces

Maj. Gen. Mark Kelly assumed command of the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) during a ceremony at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., Monday. Kelly previously served as the 9th Air Force commander at Shaw AFB, S.C., since July 2015, and special assistant to the commander of Air Combat Command at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., since June 2016. He succeeds Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, who will move to the Pentagon as the next Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations. As leader of 12th AF, Kelly will oversee more than 360 aircraft and 20,300 airmen.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Bussiere took command of 8th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), where he will oversee the nation’s bomber fleet, on Tuesday during a ceremony at Barksdale AFB, La. Bussiere previously served as deputy director for nuclear, homeland defense, and current operations, on the Joint Staff since June 2014. He succeeds Maj. Gen. Richard Clark, who will take command of 3rd Air Force at Ramstein AB, Germany. As 8th AF commander, Bussiere will serve as the Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike and commander of Task Force 204, which supports US Strategic Command in oversight of Air Force nuclear bomber and reconnaissance activities.