Pacific Air Forces will soon have a new permanent commander to replace Gen. Lori Robinson, who recently took the helm at U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Friday announced that Lt. Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy has been nominated to take over as commander at PACAF, and to be the air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command, according to a Defense Department release. If confirmed, O'Shaughnessy would pin on his fourth star, and would also be the executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
O'Shaughnessy, a command F-16 pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, is currently the commander of Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command, and the Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, Korea. O'Shaughnessy serves a dual role as deputy commander of United Nations Command Korea and U.S. Forces Korea.
Prior to his current position, O'Shaughnessy was the U.S. Pacific Command director of operations, according to his biography. He's commanded at squadron, group and wing levels, including: the 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; the 35th Fighter Wing as Misawa Air Base, Japan; and the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh on Friday also announced the following assignments:
- class="prestoapp-ckeditor">Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Geary to assistant deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon. He is now the director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance strategy, plans, policy and force development in the same office.
- class="prestoapp-ckeditor">Brig. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot to chief of staff, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He is now director of strategic plans, requirements and programs in the same office.
- Brig. Gen. Aaron M. Prupas to director, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance strategy, plans, policy and force development, where he would replace Geary. He is now deputy director of intelligence, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan; and assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence to NATO Headquarters Resolute Support, U.S. Central Command, Kabul, Afghanistan.
- Maj. Gen. Kevin B. Schneider to chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H M. Smith, Hawaii. He is now chief of staff, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
- Maj. Gen. Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall, to director of operations and military deputy with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Springfield, Virginia. She is now assistant deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon.
- Brig. Gen. Craig D. Wills, to director of strategic plans, requirements and programs at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He is now executive officer to the commander in the same office.
Oriana Pawlyk covers deployments, cyber, Guard/Reserve, uniforms, physical training, crime and operations in the Middle East and Europe for Air Force Times. She was the Early Bird Brief editor in 2015. Email her at opawlyk@airforcetimes.com.
