Senate confirms new Air Force chief, AFRICOM commander

Senators confirmed the next Air Force chief of staff, the new head of U.S. Africa Command, and the next leaders of the National Guard and Air Force Reserve in pre-recess work late Wednesday.

All of the nominees received quick approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier in the week and were expected to be confirmed without opposition.

The moves came as part of a list of more than 1,000 military nominations cleared by the Senate and allows the defense agencies to move ahead with their leadership changes as Congress prepares for an extended summer break.

Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force's vice chief of staff since last August, was confirmed to take over the service’s top military post. He flew combat missions the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the NATO campaign in Kosovo and the war in Afghanistan.

Goldfein is a 1983 Air Force Academy graduate with more than 4,200 flying hours in a host of different airframes. He also served from 2011 to 2013 as the head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser will take over as the next commander of U.S. Africa Command, replacing Army Gen. David Rodriguez. He’ll also receive a promotion to general.

Waldhauser, the current Defense Department director for joint force development, was commissioned in 1976 as an infantry officer and commanded the 1st Marine Division from 2007 to 2009. His service also includes deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in various leadership roles.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph Lengyel will take over as the next chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Maryanne Miller will become the next head of the Air Force Reserve.

Lengyel, currently the Guard’s vice chief, will be promoted to general. Miller, deputy chief of the reserve, will be promoted to lieutenant general.
While civilian nominations have stalled in the Senate in recent months, military confirmations have generally seen few delays or problems clearing Congress. But lawmakers are scheduled to leave Capitol Hill for nearly two months starting in mid-July, a recess that could cause delays if other leadership posts open.