The Air Force Secretary designate, Michael Donley, is officially on the job as Acting Secretary, according to a June 23 USAF press release. The service has updated its Web site, putting Donley’s name in place of Michael Wynne who formally gave up the reins of leadership on Friday. As Air Force Magazine Editor in Chief Robert Dudney states in his July editorial, Donley and fellow designate Gen. Norton Schwartz, named to replace outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, are “men of great distinction,” who will need “their skill and demonstrated integrity” to handle all USAF’s challenges. As Dudney notes, Defense Secretary Robert Gates “has shown he can tear up a service leadership. He has yet to show that he can help that service cope with its many and serious problems.” (Read “The Post-June 5 Air Force“)
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.