Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, the first commander of the 24th Air Force, USAF’s cyber arm, relinquished command to Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot during a ceremony at Lackland AFB, Tex. Under Webber’s leadership, 24th AF went from activation to full operational capability in just 14 months. It also became the Air Force’s operational component of US Cyber Command. “Clearly these are historic achievements and it’s a testament to Dick Webber’s leadership skills to harness the talents of this outstanding group of professionals and, by any measure, he has built an incredible team,” said Gen. William Shelton, Air Force Space Command boss, who presided over the April 29 change-of-command ceremony. Webber is retiring, effective July 1, after 36 years of service. Vautrinot most recently served as the special assistant to the Air Force vice chief in Washington, D.C. (Lackland release by TSgt. Scott McNabb)
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
