President Obama on Tuesday announced that he’s nominated James Miller to be undersecretary of defense for policy and Frank Kendall to become the Pentagon’s acquisition czar. Miller has been the principal deputy in the policy shop since April 2009. If the Senate confirms him for the top policy job, Miller would replace Michele Flournoy, who in December announced her intent to step down to return to private life. Kendall has been acting undersecretary of defense for acquisition since Ash Carter moved on to become deputy defense secretary in October. Like Miller, Kendall’s nomination requires the Senate’s nod.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
