President Joe Biden has submitted a nomination for a new Air Force vice chief of staff, but a backlog of 98 promotions caused by Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s six-month blockade has hobbled the service from permanently filling top positions.
An appointment for Lt. Gen. James Slife to be vice chief was received in the Senate on Tuesday as the Air Force shouldered more delayed promotions than any other military service branch. Slife is currently the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for operations and was previously the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.
Tuberville has blocked any quick Senate confirmation of general and flag officers, throwing the highest ranks of the military into uncertainty, especially in the Air Force. With promotions on hold, Slife cannot replace Gen. David Allvin — who was nominated as the next chief of staff of the Air Force in July. Allvin cannot take over for Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, the current chief who was tapped as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs in May.
Read Next: Parris Island Marine Officer Arrest in Florida Is Latest Leadership Trouble for Training, Education Command
While Brown can technically continue to lead the Air Force through the summer of 2024 — he was confirmed to a four-year term in June 2020 — many officials hope to have him vacate his role sooner than that. Gen. Mark Milley, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs, ends his term on Sept. 30, and the seat…
