KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — The Air Force announced Thursday the assignments of two general officers in the Pacific theater.

Maj. Gen. Johnny A. Weida, commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will become the new deputy chief of staff for the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea.

Brig. Gen. Larry D. James, director of the Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space at Chantilly, Va., will become vice commander of the 5th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, at Yokota Air Base.

Weida replaces Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Sargeant, who will become commander of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Weida received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978 and graduated from pilot training in 1979. He has more than 4,000 flying hours.

This will be his third tour on the Korean peninsula. From March 1984 to March 1985, he was an F-16 pilot with the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base. And from May 1997 to August 1999, he was deputy assistant chief of staff for operations for USFK.

Other assignments have included being a member of the Thunderbirds U.S. Air Force aerial demonstration team and commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

James replaces Brig. Gen. Joseph M. Reheiser, who will become commander of the Air Force Security Assistance Center at Wright-Patterson.

James graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978. His career has spanned a variety of space operations and acquisition assignments, including space shuttle payload specialist, Air Staff program element monitor, global positioning system satellite program manager and chief of operations, 14th Air Force.

Previous assignments include senior space officer for Operation Iraqi Freedom at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. This is his first assignment to Japan.

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