Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley officially took command of the Air Force’s information warfare command on Thursday during a ceremony at the Joint Base in San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
President Biden nominated Hensley to lead the 16th Air Force (Air Force Cyber) in May 2024.
Air Force Cyber is the service’s integrated information warfare organization. The 16th Air Force is the result of one of the first in a series of reorganizations across the U.S. military to address the disparate functions of information warfare.
In his new role, Hensley would oversee the command’s efforts including cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electromagnetic spectrum operations, and more.
Before taking command of the 16th Air Force, Hensley was deputy commander of the 16th Air Force Command. Hensley succeeds Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy, who has held the position since summer 2022 and is retiring after more than 34 years of service.
Throughout his career, Hensley has served as the deputy director of operations for combat support at the National Security Agency (NSA). He was also the chief of NSA’s Central Security Service and the Air Force’s sole authority on cryptologic activities.
Hensley steps into his new role at a time when the Air Force plans to make changes to the service as part of a reoptimization effort that would elevate the role of the 16th Air Force, particularly regarding its cyber operations.
