Top Air Force general announces early retirement after pressure from Trump administration

Published August 18, 2025 10:05pm ET



Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force’s chief of staff, announced that he would be retiring two years short of his four-year term.

In a statement, the Air Force said its top commander would retire “on or about Nov. 1.” His retirement will be accompanied by a “formal retirement ceremony with full honors” sometime in the fall. A person familiar with the matter told the Washington Post that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Allvin last week that he was being asked to retire, as the Trump administration wanted to take the Pentagon in a different direction. In return, Allvin would be allowed to announce the decision.

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