Top US Air Force official to step down

Washington, April 27 (IANS) Secretary of the US Air Force Michael Donley is to step down and return to private life, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced in a statement.

Hagel said that Donley has been "an invaluable adviser during my first two months as secretary of defense and has been an outstanding leader of the air force for nearly five years", reported Xinhua.

He added that Donley served during "a challenging time for the air force" and "helped instil a culture of responsibility, initiative, and professionalism to the service".