Senators were working on a deal Thursday evening to enable the confirmation vote for Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis before the Congressional August recess begins on Monday, a spokeswoman for Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) tells the Daily Report. President Obama on July 8 nominated Mattis to be the next commander of US Central Command. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination on Wednesday, following his nomination hearing on July 27. If confirmed by the full Senate, Mattis would replace Army Gen. David Petraeus who now leads NATO forces in Afghanistan following the dismissal of Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Mattis is currently head of US Joint Forces Command.
Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Mike Minihan awarded 51 Distinguished Flying Cross awards at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 21—one of the largest DFC ceremonies in recent history. All of the awards were given to Airmen who participated in Operation Allies Refuge, the noncombatant evacuation out of Kabul, Afghanistan,…