The Senate has confirmed a third star for Maj. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr. and his assignment as commander of 8th Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale AFB, La. (He was nominated earlier this month.) Elder would replace Lt. Gen. Kevin Chilton, who is on his way to take charge of Air Force Space Command. In his new role, Elder will also become space and global strike component commander for US Strategic Command.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
