Thompson would assume command from Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II, the first AFLCMC commander since it formed in 2012 from the former Aeronautical Systems Command. The center oversees the Air Force’s development, acquisition and maintenance of aircraft, engines, munitions and electronics.
The Air Force did not release the date of the leadership transition Monday, nor what is the next assignment for Moore. The center is one of five that fall under the authority of the Air Force Materiel Command, also headquartered at the base. Moore was the vice commander of the Air Force Materiel Command prior to his latest assignment.
In an exclusive interview this year, Moore said the center would avoid civilian employee furloughs this year, but hundreds of other positions would be cut through attrition. Others would be gained through a boom in foreign military sales, he said.
Thompson has been nominated for a third star to become a lieutenant general. The Senate must approve the 30-year career officer’s promotion.
As director of the tanker directorate, Thompson, a 1984 Air Force Academy graduate, has overseen the development and acquisition of the KC-46A Pegasus, the replacement for the 1950s-era KC-135 Stratotanker.
On Monday, the Air Force also said Col. Walter J. Lindsley has been nominated for the rank of brigadier general. He is the director of staff at the Air Force Materiel Command.
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