The White House on June 21 officially designated Michael Donley as the Acting Secretary of the Air Force. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has recommended that Donley and Gen. Norton Schwartz be nominated for Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, but the White House has not yet formally to put their names in nomination on Capitol Hill. Gen. Michael Moseley, outgoing Chief of Staff, has asked that June 27 be his last day, followed by a formal retirement date of Aug. 1.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.