Air Force Gen. Lance Smith, commander of US Joint Forces Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation wants to retire come January, after serving some 37 years in the Air Force. NATO, in an Aug. 27 statement concurred, saying he had completed his term in the position. Now, it falls upon President Bush to nominate another US flag officer to take Smith’s place.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.