Air Force Gen. David W. Allvin, the service’s chief of staff, testifies May 20, 2025, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force chief of staff, will retire in the coming months after serving about two years as the service’s top officer.
“I’m proud to have been part of the team of airmen who live out our core values of integrity, service and excellence every day as we prepare to defend this great nation,” Allvin said in a prepared statement issued Monday.
The statement from the Air Force did not provide a reason for the decision. He will continue to serve as chief of staff until a replacement is confirmed. No official date was announced, though the statement said it could be sometime close to Nov. 1.
“The Air Force is fortunate to have leaders like Gen. Dave Allvin. During his tenure, the Air Force has undertaken transformational initiatives that will enable airmen to answer their nation’s call for decades to come,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in the statement.
Allvin has been the chief of staff since November 2023. Prior to that, he served as the vice chief of staff and helped with creating joint-operating concepts and leading recruiting and retention efforts. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1986.
Allvin is also a pilot with more than 4,600 hours, including 800 flight test hours in more than 30 aircraft and 100 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his service biography.
Pentagon leaders did not respond to a request for comment about Allvin’s retirement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a number of senior military officials since taking office in January. Some of the firings include Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations, and the judge advocates general for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
