Global Strike Swap

The Defense Department today announced a pair of upcoming senior-leadership changes at Air Force Global Strike Command, the service's newest major command and the organization responsible for Air Force nuclear weapons.

Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, AGFSC's vice commander when it was founded in 2009 and its leader since 2011, has been nominated to be the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, according to a DOD statement. President Obama nominated Adm. Cecil Haney for the top job at STRATCOM last month, to replace Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, and Kowalski's promotion would keep an Air Force representative among the command's top two officials.

Kehler's current deputy is Vice Adm. Tim Giardina.

To take Kowalski's place atop AFGSC, the president has nominated Maj. Gen. Stephen Wilson, who would pin on a third star if confirmed. Wilson currently leads 8th Air Force, the numbered Air Force that operates the B-2 and B-52 nuclear bombers.

Global Strike is the only Air Force major command led by a three-star general, and Wilson's promotion would keep AFGSC in that position. The command is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA, as is 8th Air Force.