Key points
- Chief of Staff of the US Air Force will retire around Nov 1
- He will exit two years before his four-year term
- Gen Allvin would continue to serve until a replacement is confirmed
ISLAMABAD: The Pentagon said on Monday that the US Air Force’s top uniformed officer, General David Allvin, will retire early.
General Allvin’s retirement is the latest early departure of a high-ranking general under President Trump.
According to the New York Times, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force will retire around November 1 — two years before his four-year term.
According to the Pentagon, he would continue to serve until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate.
The Air Force is fortunate to have leaders like @OfficialCSAF General Dave Allvin. During his tenure, the @usairforce has undertaken transformational initiatives that will enable #Airmen to answer their nation’s call for decades to come (1/2)https://t.co/fylPWEjTDE
— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) August 18, 2025
The Air Force did not give a reason for Allvin’s early departure, but a series of top military officers have been forced out by President Donald Trump’s administration since he returned to office earlier this year.
The general — a pilot with more than 4,600 flight hours — has served as Air Force chief of staff since November 2023, and was vice chief of staff prior to taking the top job, according to AFP.
Purge of top officers
Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has overseen a purge of top officers, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff general Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.
Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of the traditionally neutral US military.
