The Senate confirmed the nomination of Lt. Gen. Hawk Carlisle to receive a fourth star for his new assignment as commander of Pacific Air Forces. The Senate announced the confirmation on June 29. Carlisle will succeed Gen. Gary North, who has led PACAF since August 2009. North is retiring, effective Oct. 1, ending a 36-year Air Force career. Carlisle has overseen operations, plans, and requirements issues on the Air Staff since January 2011. President Obama nominated him for the promotion to command PACAF in January, but Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) subsequently placed a hold on the nomination until last month. Begich wanted more details of the Air Force’s proposed relocation of its F-16 aggressor unit from Eielson Air Force Base to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The House of Representatives likely won’t get the 2021 defense policy bill on to the floor for a vote until as late as July, as the Biden administration has not yet released its proposed budget and is making a major infrastructure bill its main priority, a key lawmaker said May…