New Commanders for AETC, Space Forces-Space Among 3-Star Nominees

A half-dozen Air Force and Space Force major generals have been nominated for three-star jobs, among them new bosses for Air Education and Training Command and Space Forces-Space. 

The White House sent the nominations to the Senate on Sept. 29, where they must be confirmed.

Among those nominated for new jobs is Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, deputy commander at U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, who was selected to lead that command but will not pin on a fourth star because the Air Force is downgrading USAFE-AFA to the three-star level.

Air Education and Training Command

Maj. Gen. Clark J. Quinn, currently the deputy at AETC, has been tapped to lead the command. If confirmed, Quinn would succeed Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson as head of a major command responsible for everything from Basic Military Training and Undergraduate Pilot Training to Air University and more. 

As part of its “re-optimization” push, the Air Force in 2024 announced plans to rename AETC “as “Airman Development Command,” but those plans were put on hold in January, and the change now seems unlikely. Robinson said a year ago he expected the name and mission change to be in effect by Oct. 1, 2025.

Quinn, a pilot who flew both the F-15E and F-16, previously led 19th Air Force, overseeing all flight training, and commanded the 71st Flying Training Wing, one of the wings responsible for undergraduate pilot training. 

Operationally, Quinn flew missions in support of operations Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom, Unified Protector, Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve, according to his bio. He also served as the No. 2 at both the 20th Fighter Wing and Air Forces Central. 

Space Forces-Space

Maj. Gen. Dennis O. Bythewood is being nominated to take command of Space Forces-Space—the U.S. Space Force’s component within U.S. Space Command. If confirmed, he will succeed Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, who was previously nominated to become deputy chief of space operations for operations, succeeding Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt, who is retiring.  

Because the Space Force presents most of its forces to U.S. Space Command and SPACECOM likewise gets most of its forces from USSF, the Space Forces-Space job is one of only five three-star billets in the service. 

Bythewood was previously the deputy at Space Forces-Space but has spent the past year as special assistant to the Chief of Space Operations. He previously commanded space operations at the squadron and group level and headed the Joint Task Force-Space Defense. 

Other Nominations

Among the other nominations is Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost to become the deputy commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. Armagost is currently the commander of the 8th Air Force, responsible for the service’s bomber and nuclear command, control, and communications fleets. If confirmed, Armagost would serve as the No. 2 to Lt. Gen. Stephen L. Davis, who was recently confirmed by the Senate to pin on a fourth star and lead AFGSC. 

Maj. Gen. Jennifer Hammerstedt is nominated to lead the Air Force Sustainment Center, responsible for repairing the service’s aircraft, ICBMs, and more. Hammerstedt, currently the director of logistics, engineering, and force protection at Air Combat Command, previously led the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex in Georgia, one of the key pieces of the Air Force Sustainment Center. If confirmed, she’ll play a key role in Air Force leadership’s renewed focus on readiness. 

Maj. Gen. David B. Lyons is nominated to become Inspector General of the Air Force—essentially, the service’s top watchdog. Lyons, now the commander of the 15th Air Force, has prior IG experience, having held that role at Air Combat Command. If confirmed, he’ll take on the job from Lt. Gen. S.L. Davis, who has been the IG since March 2022, and will assume the role at a time when the Pentagon is revamping the IG complaint process at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

Maj. Gen. Daniel H. Tulley has been nominated to serve as commander and president of Air University, the service’s lead organization for all education efforts. It oversees the Community College of the Air Force, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Air Force Test Pilot School, Air Force ROTC, and more. Tilley is currently director of operations at U.S. Transportation Command and previously commanded the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.