Maj. Gen. Derek C. France has been nominated to change into the highest U.S. Air Force commander within the Middle East, the Pentagon introduced on March 14. If confirmed, he must cope with continued unrest within the area that has resulted in a number of rounds of USAF airstrikes just lately.
President Joe Biden tapped France to pin on a 3rd star as the following boss of Air Forces Central (AFCENT) and the Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC) for U.S. Central Command. The present head of AFCENT, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, has already been confirmed as the following director of operations of the Joint Staff (J-3) on the Pentagon, a vital position overseeing U.S. army actions worldwide.
France’s nomination was obtained by the Senate on March 12 and referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee for consideration.
France at the moment serves because the commander of the third Air Force, a part of U.S. Air Forces in Europe—Air Forces Africa, which leads all of the wings in USAFE-AFA. Some key air pressure items are a part of France’s present command, together with the:
thirty first Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, which hosts F-16s
52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdalem Air Base, Germany, one other F-16 unit
forty eighth Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, U.Ok, dwelling to F-15Es and F-35s
one hundredth Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, U.Ok.
86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Some of these forces—F-15Es from Lakenheath and, earlier than that, F-16s from Aviano—have been referred to as to the Middle East in latest months as tensions flared with Iran, then Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, prompting broader upheaval.
AFCENT is at the moment tackling Houthi assaults on transport within the Red Sea area, responding to greater than 150 assaults on U.S. troops supporting the marketing campaign in opposition to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, together with an assault in January that killed three Soldiers in Jordan at an outpost simply throughout the border from Syria.
In his present job, France has been responding to the opposite main worldwide disaster: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. USAFE has bolstered its workout routines and posture in protection of NATO, as its boss, Gen. James B. Hecker, has dedicated to enhancing readiness and being prepared to discourage any additional Russian aggression.
“We don’t know what’s approaching the horizon, so we have now to be prepared for lots of various issues,” France stated in 2022. “I anticipate our Airmen to maintain one another and maintain themselves. … Take care of your wingman, maintain your self.”
France is a former F-22 pilot and F-15C teacher on the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. He has almost 3,000 flight hours in F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s, and he has expertise within the Middle East, serving because the wing commander at Al Dhafra Air Base within the United Arab Emirates earlier than turning into the deputy director of operations for U.S. Central Command from 2018-2020.
France turned director of operations for USAFE in June 2020—when Israel was nonetheless within the U.S. European Command space of accountability fairly than half CENTCOM—earlier than taking his present place in June 2022.
“We have a frontrunner that not solely is aware of the way to execute the mission, however one which additionally is aware of the way to maintain Airmen and their households,” now-retired Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, the previous USAFE-AFA commander, stated of France when he took command of the third Air Force. Harrigian added that France had “warfighting excellence and operational information.”