Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Air Forces Central Command, has been tapped to be the next deputy commander of US Central Command, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. President Obama nominated Brown who, if confirmed, will leave his current post where he oversees the air war against ISIS. Brown is a command pilot who has flown more than 2,890 hours in several aircraft, including the F-16, AC-130, and all three bombers. Obama has also nominated Maj. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach to the rank of lieutenant general and to be commander of Alaska Command and 11th Air Force at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Wilsbach, who is currently the director of operations for US Central Command, would replace Lt. Gen. Russell Handy, who has served in the position since August 2013.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

