The Senate yesterday confirmed Michael Donley to be the 22nd Air Force Secretary and Lt. Gen. William Fraser, III, for appointment to the rank of rank of general to be the new vice chief of staff. President Bush must now officially appoint both men for them to assume their new positions. Donley, who has been the Acting Secretary since June 21, was nominated on June 26 and appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing on July 22. He succeeds Michael Wynne who left the Air Force’s top position in June. Fraser has been serving as the assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He will take over for Gen. Duncan McNabb who became commander of US Transportation Command last month. The Air Force said in a release that it anticipates Fraser assuming his new position on Oct. 9; it did not provide a similar date for Donley in the separate release on his confirmation.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
