President Barack Obama nominated Lt. Gen. Samuel Cox for assignment as commander of 18th Air Force at Scott AFB, Ill. Cox has served as deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services since December 2013. Obama also nominated Maj. Gen. Gina Grosso, who currently serves as director of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, for a third star. If confirmed, she would replace Cox at the Pentagon.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.