US Africa Command may have the lead in Operation Odyssey Dawn—the coalition effort to end bloodshed against civilians in Libya—but officials are working to transfer that power to coalition forces “as expeditiously as possible,” said Army Gen. Carter Ham, AFRICOM boss. Before that can happen, though, a new headquarters must be identified. “It’s not so simple as having a handshake somewhere and saying, ‘You are now in charge,'” Ham told Pentagon reporters Monday via a satellite connection from his office in Germany. He added, “There are some very complex, technical things that need to occur,” such as ensuring aircrews are not put at risk and air operations are not disrupted. “We want to accomplish the transition as expeditiously as we possibly can. I don’t see this being a prolonged process,” said Ham, who declined to offer a timeline for the transition. (Ham transcript)
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.