T
he commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley, has just capped his 35-year career, with a final flight during which he piloted an AC-130H gunship from AFSOC’s newest facility, Cannon AFB, N.M., to AFSOC’s home at Hurlburt Field, Fla. First Lt. Amy Cooper reports that the aircraft he flew got the traditional hosing, as did Wooley when his wife and four-year-old grandson doused him with a fire hose as he left the aircraft. Wooley relinquished command on Nov. 23 to Maj. Gen. Donald Wurster.
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.

