The Senate confirmed both Adm. Timothy Keating and Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor Renuart Jr. on March 19 for their new posts as head of US Pacific Command and NORAD/US Northern Command, respectively. The two successfully passed a March 8 confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Advance questions for Renuart, who also will add a fourth star, included ones on his views of National Guard employment and whether the No. 2 spot at NORTHCOM should go to a Guardsman. Renuart believes seeking the “best qualified” is the right approach.
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
