Senate Confirms Air Force's Highest-Ranking Officer

The blockade in promoting top military leaders during a time of 'urgent challenges' has hurt U.S. military readiness, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, November 02, 2023 at 05:59 PM ET

Verified

General David Allvin, Air Force vice chief of staff, speaks with Air Force and Space Force ROTC cadets and newly commissioned officers at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 14. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate confirmed Air Force General David Allvin as chief of staff, along with Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Lieutenant General Christopher Mahoney, filling key military leadership roles.
These top military positions had been blocked for months by Senator Tommy Tuberville in protest of the Department of Defense's abortion travel policy.
Despite these confirmations, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that over 370 military nominations remain logjammed, which he stated is harming military readiness and impacting service members' families.

See a mistake? Contact us.

After months of blockade, the U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Air Force General David Allvin as chief of staff, the service’s highest-ranking uniformed officer.

Allvin’s confirmation joined that of Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations and Lieutenant General Christopher Mahoney as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. These top military leadership roles had remained unfilled for months after Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) attempted to block military nominations and promotions in an attempt to protest the Department of Defense’s abortion travel policy.