Lt. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach took command of 11th Air Force during a ceremony on Tuesday at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Wilsbach will also command US Northern Command’s Alaska Command and the Alaskan NORAD Region, taking the reins from retiring Lt. Gen. Russell Handy. Wilsbach, who received his third star in the promotion, previously served as the director of operations for US Central Command.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
