The Administration has nominated John J. Young Jr. to replace Ken Krieg as the Pentagon’s top acquisition official. Young has been the director of Defense Research and Engineering since November 2005. Krieg announced earlier this month that he planned to leave his post at the Pentagon on July 20 or earlier if the Senate confirmed his replacement.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.

