President Barack Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. John Thompson for a third star and for assignment as commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, according to a Defense Department release. Thompson has served as the Air Force’s program executive officer for tankers since January 2013. If confirmed, he will replace Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore, who has led AFLCMC since July 2012.
The Air Force is planning to invest nearly $1.7 billion to continue modernizing the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers over the next five years, revising earlier plans to retire those aircraft before the B-21 Raider is fielded in bulk.