WASHINGTON — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin announced today he is retiring from his post “on or about” Nov. 1, according to a service press release.
Allvin will remain in his post “until a replacement is confirmed which will allow time for a smooth leadership transition,” the Air Force’s press release says. “A formal retirement ceremony with full honors will occur later this fall.”
Allvin’s retirement marks an abrupt end for his tenure as the Air Force’s top officer, which began Nov. 2, 2023 and was slated to last four years. The Air Force’s press release does not say why Allvin is stepping down, and a service spokesperson declined to comment.
“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 press release. “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.”
Allvin has recently become an unusually vocal advocate for his service, arguing in an exclusive interview with Breaking Defense that threats from modern adversaries like China demand greater investment in airpower, even at the expense of fellow military branches. It’s not clear who may be slated to replace Allvin as chief of staff.
“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 said in the press release. “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.”
An Air Force Academy graduate and mobility pilot by trade, Allvin served in various roles around the globe in his nearly 40-year career, spanning Kabul to the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, according to his service biography. He has also seen the launch of key new programs for the Air Force, including the announcement of the F-47 stealth fighter contract award to Boeing in March.
Allvin joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to reveal the F-47 decision, where the president described Allvin and his subordinate Lt. Gen. Dale White as “two incredible people” who Trump had gotten to know “really well over the last few months.”
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Prior to his current role, Allvin served as the Air Force’s No. 2 officer, and took the reins of chief of staff from Gen. CQ Brown. Brown went on to serve as the joint chiefs chairman before being ousted by the Trump administration earlier this year, in a spate of firings that included former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife. Air Force Global Strike Command Chief. Gen. Bussiere has since been tapped to replace Slife.
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