A key Air Force leader in the fight against the Islamic State is moving on to serve in NATO, the Air Force announced Monday.
Maj. Gen. Scott Kindsvater — the air deputy/deputy commander of operations and intelligence for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve and commander of the 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant — has been selected to be the deputy chief of staff for operations at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in Mons, Belgium.
Kindsvater, a command pilot with more than 3,600 hours of flight time, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1989. He flew more than 600 combat hours over Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his official bio.
His previous assignments include the assistant deputy commander at U.S. Air Forces Central Command and assistant vice commander of the 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
The Air Force on Monday also announced three other general officer assignments. They are:
- Brig. Gen. Vincent Becklund, deputy chief, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, in Baghdad, Iraq, to be special assistant to the commander, Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
- Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding III, senior defense official and defense attaché-China, at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, to be senior director, strategic planning, on the National Security Council at the White House.
- Col. Deanna Burt, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, from commander, 50th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, to vice commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Charlsy Panzino covers the Guard and Reserve, training, technology, operations and features for Army Times and Air Force Times. Email her at cpanzino@militarytimes.com.
Charlsy is a Reporter and Engagement Manager for Military Times. Email her at cpanzino@militarytimes.com.
