NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Air Force Secretary Troy Meink indicated Monday that he expects the service to have a new chief of staff by the time current chief Gen. David Allvin retires .

“We’re not gonna not have a chief,” Meink said during a roundtable with reporters after being asked about the potential vacancy of the service’s top two uniformed positions.

Allvin surprised many in August when he announced he would retire in November, about halfway through his four-year term as the service’s 23rd chief of staff. Allvin said he would remain chief of staff until his successor is nominated and confirmed.

The service has been without a vice chief since February, when President Donald Trump fired Gen. Jim Slife , along with multiple other top Pentagon leaders. The White House in July nomina

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