Trump taps new Air Force, Space Force No. 2s

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has tapped two military leaders to serve as the No. 2 officers of the Air Force and Space Force, respectively, filling posts left vacant by the unceremonious dismissal of one official and the elevation of another.

For the Air Force, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, would take over as the service’s vice chief of staff, according to a congressional notice. The post has been empty since Gen. Jim Slife was fired, largely without explanation, by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Feb. 21.

Bussiere, who as Global Strike Command chief oversees the Air Force’s nuclear deterrent and strategic assets like bombers, has been viewed as a top candidate for months and would bring a depth of personal experience to the role. Achieving the rating of a command pilot after logging thousands of hours on aircraft like the F-15 Eagle, B-2 Spirit and F-22 Rapter, Bussiere’s service biography shows he has held numerous posts including deputy director for nuclear, homeland defense and current operations on the Joint Staff. He has served in his current role since December 2022.

A strong advocate for modernization efforts underway across the Air Force, Bussiere has said it would be prudent to reexamine the assumptions underlying years-old targets for the size of the Air Force’s bomber fleet. While the general currently stewards so-far successful programs like the B-21 Raider, his portfolio also includes flagging efforts like the LGM-35A Sentinel, which he revealed will require new missile silos.

Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, current Space Force deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, has been tapped to be the service’s next vice chief of space operations, according to a congressional notice. His elevation has been widely expected by service and industry officials for some weeks. The nomination was

Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton makes remarks during his promotion to major general at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., March 16, 2022. Bratton is the commander of Space Training and Readiness Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

He would replace Gen. Michael Guetlein, who has been nominated by Trump to serve as the program manager for his ambitious Golden Dome effort to build a comprehensive missile shield for the US homeland. While Guetlein has not yet been officially confirmed, he is widely expected to face few obstacles. In that new role, he would report directly to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

As for Bratton, in his current role he played a key part in development of the Space Force’s overarching “warfighting framework” that seeks to substantiate Space Force plans to conduct warfare “in, from and through” space — as well as establish the centrality of “space superiority” to joint military operations against peer adversaries China and Russia.

He also led the service team charged with creating a blueprint for a new Space Force Futures Command, which would focus on fleshing out capabilities that might be available and relevant to space operations some 15 to 20 years down the line.

Bussiere and Bratton now both require Senate confirmation. Hearing dates for either nominee have not yet been scheduled.