? The Senate has confirmed Gen. Hawk Carlisle to take over Air Combat Command and Lt. Gen. Lori Robinson to replace Carlisle as Pacific Air Forces commander, announced Air Force officials on Monday. The Senate confirmation votes took place on July 23. Carlisle, a veteran pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, mostly in fighters, will replace Gen. Mike Hostage, who’s led ACC since September 2011 and plans to retire from the Air Force after 37 years of service. Carlisle has commanded PACAF since August 2012. Robinson will be the first woman and the first non-pilot to command one of the Air Force’s combat component commands. A senior battle manager with more than 900 flight hours in E-3 AWACs and E-8 JSTARS aircraft, Robinson currently is ACC’s vice commander. She will rise to the rank of general for her new assignment, making her the Air Force’s second serving female four-star, along with Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, head of Air Force Materiel Command. PACAF has become increasingly important with the United States’ strategic refocus to the Asia-Pacific region and the military rise of China.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.