Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton officially took charge of US Strategic Command on Oct. 3, but DOD held the command transfer ceremony at Offutt AFB, Neb., Oct. 17 after Defense Secretary Robert Gates returned from recent travels. Donna Miles reports that Gates said Chilton’s “trail-blazing career” would serve well at STRATCOM. Chilton called his new command the “most responsive combatant command in the US arsenal.”
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.
