Gen. Lori Robinson assumed command of Pacific Air Forces from Gen. Hawk Carlisle during a ceremony at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, becoming the first woman to lead an Air Force component major command, according to an Oct. 16 release. “Gen. Lori Robinson is a phenomenal leader and a proven operator,” said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, who presided over the change of command. “She fully understands what it takes to be successful in this business and has all the tools to take this command to even higher levels of performance.” During the ceremony, Carlisle credited airmen for the command’s success. “The security and stability of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rests squarely on their shoulders, and I can’t think of better shoulders for them to rest on,” said Carlisle, who will now take charge of Air Combat Command.
The nation needs a better-coordinated policy for dealing with unmanned aerial systems that threaten domestic bases, Air Force vice chief of staff Gen. James C. Slife told a panel of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He and Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief William LaPlante co-chair a panel looking at counter-UAS…