Defense Secretary Bob Gates immediately appointed Army Gen. Keith Alexander to his new post as head of the new US Cyber Command following a May 21 ceremony at Ft. Meade, Md., for Alexander’s promotion to four stars. The Senate had confirmed Alexander for his new rank and role May 7. With Alexander formally in charge of the new command, CYBERCOM also marked its initial operating capability, according to the May 21 Pentagon release. CYBERCOM serves as a sub-unified command, operating under US Strategic Command. Alexander retains his other role as director of the National Security Agency and chief Central Security Service, with all three functions operating from a base at Ft. Meade.
The U.S. thwarted a drone attack on U.S. forces at Al Asad air base in western Iraq on April 22, marking the first time that American troops have been targeted since February, U.S. officials said. “We can confirm it was an attack on Al Asad,” a defense official told Air & Space…