Air Force Reserve Col. Lindsey Graham—Republican senator from South Carolina—spent part of his August break serving in Afghanistan, where as a military lawyer he helped instruct Afghan military judges and lawyers. McClatchy Newspapers’ James Rosen reports that Graham has become “the first sitting member of Congress in decades to perform military duty in a war zone.” Rosen also writes that the South Carolina Senator’s homespun humor lost something in the translation.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.