President Obama has nominated Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Thomas to lead US Special Operations Command, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Feb. 29. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Gen. Joseph Votel, who will take command of US Central Command from retiring Gen. Lloyd Austin. Thomas currently serves as commander of Joint Special Operations Command and would receive his fourth star if confirmed. He is a career special operator, having served as an operations officer and squadron commander in the Army’s Delta Force, and also as the associate director of the Central Intelligence Agency for military affairs.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
