Air Force: Allvin to Remain as Chief of Staff Until Replacement Confirmed

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—Despite a looming expected retirement date of approximately Nov. 1, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin will stay on until the confirmation of his successor, Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink told reporters Sept. 22 at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

“We’re not going to not have a Chief,” he said.

On Aug. 18, Allvin announced plans to retire effective “on or about Nov. 1,” according to the service.

Since then, President Donald Trump has yet to nominate anyone for the Air Force’s top job. Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere reportedly had his nomination for Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force withdrawn in August after being nominated for the position in July. Even after Trump selects a nominee, they need to be vetted and confirmed by the Senate, which is scheduled to be in session 18 more days before Nov. 1 and is also dealing with a looming government shutdown.

The Air Force, meanwhile, has also been without a Vice Chief since February, when Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife, along with then-Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and other senior military leaders.

If Allvin were to retire without a new confirmed Chief or Vice Chief, that could lead to a three-star member of the Air Staff acting as Chief—an unprecedented situation in the Air Force’s history. Meink indicated he would continue to work with Allvin despite his looming retirement and that the 23rd CSAF would stay in his role until he is formally replaced.

“In the end, that has to work through the administration. But the bottom line is we will not not have a Chief. Gen. Allvin and I will make sure that we have a Chief,” Meink said.

An Air Force spokesperson reiterated that Allvin will remain in his role until his successor is in place.

“He will continue to serve as the Air Force Chief of Staff until a replacement is confirmed, which will allow time for a smooth leadership transition,” the spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine on Sept. 22.

Allvin is leaving the Air Force at a pivotal point in the service’s history. In early 2024, leaders announced a “re-optimization” slate of modernization initiatives, such as a new Integrated Capabilities Command and a revamped deployment model. The future of those efforts is unclear.

“I think we’re getting close to making a number of those decisions,” Meink said when asked about the status of Integrated Capabilities Command and the Space Force’s Space Futures Command, both of which remain in limbo. “I know we’re getting close to making a number of those decisions. And so in the next couple of months, we will be rolling them out.”

Under Allvin’s tenure, the Air Force decided to build the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter jet and first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and made a wide swath of personnel, deployment, and training reforms primarily aimed at deterring China.

“We’re paying attention to tomorrow. The plan is sort of in place. I’m ready to keep moving,” Allvin said during his State of the Air Force address. “There’s a lot of change going on right now. … When the President asks tonight, next week, next year, next decade, ‘Can you still do that?’ We have to be able to say, ‘Hell yes we can.’”

If Allvin’s successor is in place and he does leave by Nov. 1, Allvin would be the first CSAF to leave short of two years on the job since Gen. Michael J. Dugan, who was dismissed in 1990 after just 78 days on the job because of comments made to the press. Military chiefs of staff are confirmed by the Senate to four-year terms, though they serve at the pleasure of the president. Overall, his tenure is set to be the fourth-shortest in the service’s history.

Meink declined to say when Allvin’s successor would be named when speaking to reporters. The Air Force’s top civilian praised Allvin in his opening keynote address.

“Special thanks to Gen. Allvin and [his wife] Gina [Allvin], not only for the 39 years of service that I could talk for hours about,” Meink said. “Although I’ve been around the department a long time, stepping into this job four or five months ago, Gen. Allvin has just been fantastic. There’s a lot going on, as you know, it’s a great big department, a lot of things going on, and I just can’t thank Gen. Allvin enough for everything he’s done for me.”