In the Ready Room

In another key military shift, President Johnson last week named General John P. McConnell, 56, to be Air Force vice chief of staff on July 31, replacing retiring General William F. McKee. A West Pointer ('32) who got his wings at Randolph Field in 1933, McConnell served in the Far East in World War II, was vice chief of staff at SAC, is currently deputy commander of the European Command.

McConnell's new assignment puts him in line for the top Air Force job when Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay retires in February. That prospect disposes of rumors that LeMay's successor will be General Bernard Schriever (TIME cover, April 1, 1957), boss of the Air Force Systems Command and pioneer expert in ballistic missiles development. One possibility for Schriever: command of SAC, now in the hands of General Thomas Power, who plans to retire in November.

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