Three-star general performing duties of Air Force vice chief of staff after Trump firing

Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus is performing the duties of the Air Force vice chief of staff after President Trump ousted Gen. Jim Slife Friday night.

Pleus is the current director of staff for Headquarters Air Force, according to his online biography. He “synchronizes and integrates policy, plans, positions, procedures and cross-functional issues for the headquarters staff,” according to the page.

Slife had been vice chief for just over a year, starting the position in December 2023. Previously, he was deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters Air Force and before that commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Slife’s ouster Friday night. In an atypical move, Trump and Hegseth fired several top officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.

The Army, Navy and Air Force judge advocates general -- the top lawyers for each service -- were also fired Friday night.

Maj. Gen. Rebecca Vernon, the deputy judge advocate general for the Air Force, will be performing the duties of the judge advocate general. Lt. Gen. Charles Plummer had held that position.

In another unusual move, Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine -- who has most recently worked with venture capital firms -- as his pick for Joint Chiefs chairman. Nominations for the other five positions have not yet been named.