Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force’s 21st Chief of Staff, was officially sworn in during a July 1 ceremony at the Pentagon. Goldfein, who was confirmed on June 29, replaced the now retired Gen. Mark Welsh as Chief. “My commitment to you as your Chief, as the 21st Chief, in the 21st Century, is that I will work every day to be a leader of character,” Goldfein said in a message to airmen posted on Youtube. “I’ll leave nothing on the table. I’ll look for the opportunity in every challenge. I’ll treat team building as a contact sport, and I’ll remain laser focused on warfighting excellence.” (USAF release.)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.