Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force’s chief of staff, announced that he would be retiring two years short of his four-year term.
In a statement, the Air Force said its top commander would retire “on or about Nov. 1.” His retirement will be accompanied by a “formal retirement ceremony with full honors” sometime in the fall. A person familiar with the matter told the Washington Post that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Allvin last week that he was being asked to retire, as the Trump administration wanted to take the Pentagon in a different direction. In return, Allvin would be allowed to announce the decision.
The person speaking with the outlet said, “It was certainly not his choice.”
Despite the pressure under which he left, Allvin thanked President Donald Trump and Hegseth in his retirement announcement.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 23rd Air Force chief of staff, and I’m thankful for Secretary Meink, Secretary Hegseth, and President Trump’s faith in me to lead our service,” Allvin said in a statement. “More than anything, I’m proud to have been part of the team of Airmen who live out our core values of integrity, service, and excellence every day as we prepare to defend this great nation.”
Other Air Force figures celebrated his service in reaction.
“The Air Force is fortunate to have leaders like General Dave Allvin. During his tenure, the Air Force has undertaken transformational initiatives that will enable Airmen to answer their nation’s call for decades to come,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, a Trump appointee confirmed in May, said. “General Allvin has been instrumental in my onboarding as the department’s 27th Secretary, and I’m forever grateful for his partnership as well as his decades of exemplary service to our nation.”
Another person familiar with the matter told the Washington Post that they were surprised that the forced retirement took as long as it did. Among the main areas of contention was dissatisfaction with his oversight over a possible security crisis involving China.
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Two people familiar with the matter told the outlet that Gen. Thomas Bussiere, Trump’s July nominee for vice chief of staff of the Air Force, is a likely replacement. In June, he headed the Air Force Global Strike Command and oversaw parts of Operation Midnight Hammer.
Allvin’s effective dismissal is the latest of several high-profile shake-ups in the military. During his first administration, the military was a key target of Trump’s ire, where he clashed with several of its heads. During his second administration, Trump has fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, along with other generals and admirals.
