When asked Friday afternoon (see above) why the Administration had nominated Navy Adm. William Fallon as the replacement (and first Navy commander) for US Central Command, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the choice was not hard at all considering Fallon is one of the “best strategic thinkers in the military.” Gates added that in his job as head of US Pacific Command, Fallon was engaged in a large amount of diplomacy around the Pacific Rim—skills that will be utilized heavily in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility. Fallon faces Senators this week for his confirmation hearing. (By the way, rumor now has it that there really wasn’t much of a push from the Air Force to secure the PACOM slot.)
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…