Various news reports quote departing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as declaring that the Administration would create an Africa Command within a couple of months. He made the remark during an awards ceremony in which he praised Theresa Whelan, deputy assistant for African affairs, for her work on the implementation planning group.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.