General Thomas Bussiere, the Air Force’s supreme commander, announced his retirement Tuesday for “personal and family reasons.”
“After thoughtful and wholeheartedly, Barb and I made a difficult decision for personal and family reasons to retire from the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, head of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a Facebook post.
“My commitment to service remains as I stay away from active service. I look forward to finding new ways to support our Air Force, the Department of Defense and the incredible people who make everything possible,” Bussiere wrote.
Bussiere has served as the Air Force global strike commander since December 2022.
He was nominated by the government as the next Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff in July, but Air Week reported in early September that Busier’s nomination had been withdrawn.
Former Air Force Chief of Staff General James Slife was fired in February.
After a resignation of Bussiere’s retirement hours after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held an extraordinary gathering of senior military officials in Quantico, Virginia, where he announced that he was raising fitness standards and overhauled the military’s internal complaints and investigation process.
“If what I say today makes your heart sink, then you should do the glorious thing and resign.”
In August, the Air Force announced that the division’s chief of staff, General David Allvin, would retire in November two years after his four-year term.
The Trump administration nominated General Kenneth Wellsbach, a four-star and long-time fighter pilot, to become the Air Force’s next chief of staff.
“I am pleased to support the nomination of General Kenneth Wellsbach as the Air Force’s next chief of staff,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a statement. “He is a combat-tested pilot with experience leading combat power worldwide. I am confident that he will ensure that the Air Force embodies the spirit of warriors and is ready to defend our country and maintain our dominance over all our opponents.”
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