Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein has assigned Maj. Gen. John K. McMullen to be Air Combat Command’s vice commander, the Air Force announced Thursday. McMullen will replace Maj. Gen. Jerry Harris, who has served in the role since April 2015. McMullen has served as the director of operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration at US Air Forces in Europe headquarters since June 2015. He will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Timothy Fay, according to the Pentagon release announcing the assignments. Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes’ nomination to head Air Combat Command is still pending before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As the Pentagon increasingly pivots its focus to strategic competition with China, the U.S. will look to expand its partnership with South Korea to increase security across the entire Indo-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said Dec. 2 during a visit to the northeastern Asian nation.