WASHINGTON — The US Senate today confirmed Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach as the next Air Force chief of staff, paving the way for the fighter pilot to take the reins of his service following the abrupt retirement of Gen. David Allvin.
After a relatively uncontroversial hearing for Wilsbach before the Senate Armed Services Committee — though one where he would not commit to upholding congressional intent for billions of dollars in reconciliation spending — the general’s nomination cleared the upper chamber by unanimous consent alongside several other nominees.
It’s not immediately clear when Wilsbach will be sworn in as service chief. Allvin previously announced he would step down “on or about” Nov. 1, and held his retirement ceremony Oct. 10.
In a statement on X, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said, “I want to welcome General Kenneth Wilsbach as the 24th Chief of Staff of the Air Force! With his vast experience in the Pacific and as a commander at all levels, he is the right leader for the” service.
Wilsbach is a fighter pilot by background, having flown aircraft like the F-22 Raptor, F-15 and F-16. He is now poised to guide the service during a critical window, as fears mount that China could invade Taiwan and invoke a US response. While heading Pacific Air Forces, Wilsbach commanded forces amid what he called “completely unprofessional and totally unsafe” intercepts by Chinese pilots.
The general’s ascent coincides with the reversal of key Biden-era initiatives, particularly a plan to create a new modernization command. Unpopularity within the Air Force about some of those proposals reportedly helped lead to the ousting of Allvin, who is stepping down halfway into what is typically a four-year term.
Wilsbach’s path to the top uniformed Air Force post has also been unusual compared to the typically rote and bureaucratic nomination process.
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On Aug. 11, the Air Force four-star stepped down from his position as head of Air Combat Command, ahead of his intended retirement. But seven days later, Allvin’s early exit was announced, and shortly thereafter multiple sources told Breaking Defense that Wilsbach had emerged as the frontrunner for the chief of staff job, in part due to his prior assignment as commander of PACAF.
However, Wilsbach’s potential nomination appeared to stall after social media accounts mounted a campaign calling out his previous statements supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. That campaign instead promoted Air Force Global Strike Command head Gen. Thomas Bussiere, then nominated for the vice chief of staff, as a potential contender for the chief of staff job.
Wilsbach ultimately advanced in the end, whereas Bussiere’s nomination for the vice chief job was reportedly pulled. Bussiere has since announced plans to retire. The Air Force’s uniformed No. 2 job is still open as a result with no clear candidate in sight, a position that has been vacant since former Vice Chief Gen. James Slife was fired by Hegseth amid an unprecedented purge of senior officers in February.
Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.