Lt. Gen. Edward Rice Jr. has taken charge of US Forces Japan and 5th Air Force at Yokota AB, Japan. Rice, who last served as vice commander of Pacific Air Forces, replaced Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright, who formally retires on April 1.
The U.S. and Sweden signed a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement on Dec. 5 that will strengthen military ties between them and likely lead to U.S. troops and prepositioned gear on Swedish soil. Swedish Defense minister Pal Jonson said the war in Ukraine prompted Sweden's joining NATO and he laid out…