President Obama has tapped Lt. Gen. John Thompson to lead the Space and Missile Systems at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., and Maj. Gen. Robert McMurry for his third star and assignment as commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, according to a Sept. 23 release. If confirmed, McMurry, who currently commands the Air Force Research Laboratory, would replace Thompson, who has led AFLCMC since October 2014. Thompson would replace Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, who has led SMC since October 2014. The Air Force has not yet announced a new assignment for Greaves.
As commander of Air Forces Central, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich has been at the heart of almost all U.S. military action in the Middle East, from overseeing airstrikes against Iranian proxy groups to protecting troops as America’s air defense commander for the region. Just before handing over his command to…