General Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle formally accepted command of the United States’ Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) on 3 August in a ceremony presided over by US Navy Admiral Samuel Locklear III, commander of the US Pacific Command, and US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz. General Carlisle comes to the PACAF with an impressive resume including several assignments in positions of high-visibility within the upper echelons of the USAF hierarchy. Many of his previous assignments brought him into close contact with Congressional leaders, senior air commanders, and political leaders.
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as part of our Premium Content.Selection of General Carlisle to command the PACAF is a clear indication that the Obama administration considers assignment of a senior-level commander with strong ties to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program to be a prudent move that will further strengthen US efforts to convince Asia-Pacific national leaders to select the F-35 as their next-generation fighter.
