Biden selects next Air Force chief amid Tuberville blockade
Mike Brest
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President Joe Biden announced his selection of Gen. David Allvin to lead the Air Force.
The White House notified the Senate of the nomination on Tuesday, which it announced on Wednesday. If confirmed, he would replace outgoing Air Force chief of staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, whom the president nominated to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Allvin currently serves as the vice chief of staff of the Air Force and has previously commanded at the squadron and wing levels, including the 97th Air Mobility Wing. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1986 and also served as director for strategy, plans, and policy on the Joint Chiefs.
He now joins a growing list of more than 300 Pentagon nominations currently being held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who has paused all DOD promotions and nominations since February due to his opposition to the department’s abortion policies. The controversial policy allows the military to reimburse the cost of the travel expenses accrued for service members or their dependents who have to travel out of state for an abortion or other restricted healthcare procedures.
Tuberville has spoken to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin multiple times this month, and DOD briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee, which he’s on, about the policy, and neither side appears any closer to capitulating to the other.
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Defense officials have argued Tuberville’s hold hampers military readiness and unfairly affects the families of service members, whereas Republicans in Congress have largely supported Tuberville’s position, though some question his tactics.
The hold has already affected the Joint Chiefs, and may continue to do so. Gen. Eric Smith is serving as the acting commandant of the Marine Corps because Tuberville’s hold has prevented the Senate from confirming him to the position. Biden has nominated replacements to fill the top spots in the Army and Navy, both of which will be vacated next month, while Brown will need to be confirmed to his position as well.