Air Force Aid Society named Major General (Retired) Edward W. Thomas Jr. as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. General Thomas will assume the role of CEO on February 19, 2024. He served the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years and was most recently the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. General Thomas will assume his duties as CEO from Kris McBride who has served exceptionally well in an acting capacity. Kris will return to her role as Chief Operating Officer for AFAS.

“General Thomas is the right leader at the right time to advance this important mission,” said Jim Reagan, President of the AFAS Board of Trustees. “His heart for our Airmen and Guardians and their families is undeniable and his experience is a perfect match for the challenges and opportunities before us,” he added.

“When our Airmen and Guardians and their families face some of the hardest days, they want to know that someone has their back,” General Thomas said. “I am grateful to now be coming alongside Air and Space Force leadership and our partners to do just that.”

As the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, he led more than 3,000 Airmen and Guardians in more than 1,200 locations across the globe. In that capacity, he also directed the Department of the Air Force’s $250-million annual marketing mission and represented the department before Congress. He has also led at four different levels of command and directed communication efforts for both the Department of the Air Force and the Joint Staff. General Thomas was commissioned through Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets in 1990 and he and Dinah have four children, including two sons serving in the Air Force.