Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein has assigned Maj. Gen. John K. McMullen to be Air Combat Command’s vice commander, the Air Force announced Thursday. McMullen will replace Maj. Gen. Jerry Harris, who has served in the role since April 2015. McMullen has served as the director of operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration at US Air Forces in Europe headquarters since June 2015. He will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Timothy Fay, according to the Pentagon release announcing the assignments. Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes’ nomination to head Air Combat Command is still pending before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
