JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. — The U.S. Senate confirmed Aug. 21 that Maj. Gen. Chris Weggeman will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and assume duties as the deputy commander of Air Combat Command here.

He’ll assist the commander in organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready air, space, cyber and intelligence forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense. The command oversees more than 1,100 aircraft at 37 wings, 12 bases, and 1,371 units at more than 315 operating locations worldwide with 158,000 total force military and civilian personnel.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of working with the incredible Airmen we have stationed around the world,” Weggeman said. “I’m grateful to be a part of this dynamic and evolving ACC team.”

Weggeman is a command pilot with more than 2,800 hours flown in the F-16C, F-16D, T-38C, AT-38C, T-6A, AT-38B and T-1A. He has commanded at the squadron, group, wing, and numbered Air Force levels.

Prior to this assignment, Weggeman was the commander of 24th Air Force and Air Forces Cyber at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, where he was responsible for providing Air Force component and combatant commanders with trained and ready cyber forces to plan, direct and execute global cyberspace operations.