According to a Pentagon release, former U.S. Representative from New York John McHugh was sworn in Sept. 21 as the 21st Secretary of the Army. President Obama nominated McHugh for the post in June, and the Senate confirmed him Sept. 16. He was the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. The Army also now has a new undersecretary, Joseph Westphal, who was assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Work from 1998 to 2001 and served briefly as acting Secretary.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.