After 11-Month Vacancy, Air Force Has a New Vice Chief

The Senate confirmed Gen. John D. Lamontagne to be Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force by voice vote late Jan. 30, along five other Air Force three-stars and a new commander for U.S. Southern Command.

Lamontagne succeeds Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife, who was dismissed along with other senior military leaders by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about a month after he took office. Director of Staff Lt. Gen. Scott L. Pleus has performed most of those duties ever since, by far the longest stint acting as a Vice Chief in the position’s 79-year history. 

An Air Force spokesperson could not immediately say Feb. 2 when Lamontagne will be sworn in. 

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach congratulated Lamontagne on social media. “John has commanded at every level and has operational experience across every theater. I’m thrilled to have him as my wingman.”

In addition to Lamontagne, the Senate also confirmed:

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan to pin on a fourth star and take charge of U.S. Southern Command. Donovan, a special forces operator by trade, will lead the command at a critical juncture given the new National Defense Strategy’s new focus on the Western Hemisphere. 
Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry to retain her three-star rank and take command of Air Force Materiel Command, another command downgraded from four-star level. Hurry had been the command’s deputy and acting as its commander since the retirement of Gen. Duke Z. Richardson from AFMC, the Air Force’s principal acquisition command.
Lt. Gen. Stephen F. Jost will retain his rank and continue as head of U.S. Forces Japan, a position he has head for the past year and a half while simultaneously commanding 5th Air Force. But the Air Force is separating the two roles and elevating USFJ into a joint forces headquarters that can coordinate military operations with the Japanese, plan joint exercises, and help defend the country if hostilities break out. 
Maj. Gen. Joel L. Carey will pin on his third star to take command of 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Carey has been the Chief of Staff of Indo-Pacific Command and a close aide to INDOPACOM boss Adm. Samuel J. Paparo. 
Maj. Gen. Luke C. G. Cropsey will add his third star and become the military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Cropsey has led one of the most complex development projects in the Air Force portfolio, encompassing command, control, communications, and battle management with the goal of developing a servicewide, interconnected sensor-to-shooter network. 
Maj. Gen. Mark B. Pye will also move up a rank and become the deputy to Gen. Dale R. White, who is in a brand new role as Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Critical Major Weapon Systems Programs. White’s office, responsible for the Air Force’s biggest acquisition programs, reports directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steven Feinberg. 

Wilsbach saluted his newly advanced generals in another social media post: “Congratulations to 6 senior leaders the Senate also confirmed: Lt Gens Linda Hurry and Stephen Jost, Lt Gens select Joel Carey, Luke Cropsey, and Mark Pye, and Maj Gen select Chris Eason!” he wrote. “You’re exactly who our Air Force needs and deserves, I’m proud to serve with you!”

Lamontagne has headed Air Mobility Command since September 2024. He has flown both KC-135s and C-17s, and commanded an airlift squadron, group, and wing before taking over the 618th Air Operations Center in 2018-2019—the operational heart of the mobility fleet. From there, Lamontagne served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and at U.S. European Command before becoming the deputy commander at U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE). 

As Vice Chief, he’ll support Wilsbach’s drive to increase aircraft readiness, adding a mobility perspective to Wilsbach’s combat air forces experience.

Lamontagne’s successor at Air Mobility Command has yet to be named, and he could be the command’s last four-star boss. Hegseth directed the services to reduce the number of four-star generals, and it is widely expected that AMC will become a three-star command, as has already happened at USAFE and AFMC.