Gen. Lori Robinson assumed command of Pacific Air Forces from Gen. Hawk Carlisle during a ceremony at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, becoming the first woman to lead an Air Force component major command, according to an Oct. 16 release. “Gen. Lori Robinson is a phenomenal leader and a proven operator,” said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, who presided over the change of command. “She fully understands what it takes to be successful in this business and has all the tools to take this command to even higher levels of performance.” During the ceremony, Carlisle credited airmen for the command’s success. “The security and stability of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rests squarely on their shoulders, and I can’t think of better shoulders for them to rest on,” said Carlisle, who will now take charge of Air Combat Command.
Happy Birthday US Air Force: 78 Today
Sept. 18, 2025
Seventy-eight years ago today, on Sept. 18, 1947, Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington as the first ever Secretary of the Air Force, and the Air Force officially became the first new military service since the Revolutionary War.
