Air Force’s top uniformed officer is retiring early in latest Trump military shake-up

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force’s top uniformed officer is set to retire early in the most recent shake-up of military leadership during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Gen. David Allvin will continue serving as the service’s chief of staff until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, the Air Force announced Monday. He expects to retire around Nov. 1, two years into his four-year term, it said in a statement.

Allvin joins other top military officials who have stepped down or been fired by Trump’s Republican administration during a broader leadership upheaval, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plans to slash the number of senior military positions in what he calls an efficiency effort and a purge of top officers who were believed to endorse diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

For example, Trump fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February. Brown was the second Black general to serve as chairman, and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine later took over the role.

Allvin, a command pilot with more than 4,600 flying hours, was appointed Air Force chief of staff by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, serving since November 2023. Before that, he was vice chief of staff during Trump’s first term.

“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 the Air Force’s statement.

When asked for more details on Allvin’s departure, the Air Force directed The Associated Press to its statement.

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