Yesterday, the White House sent to Capitol Hill the nomination of Gen. Duncan McNabb to replace Gen. Norton Schwartz at the helm of US Transportation Command (see above). McNabb is the current Air Force vice chief of staff. We’re still waiting on the nomination of Lt. Gen. William Fraser to take over for McNabb as vice chief. Gates recommended Fraser, who serves now as assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the new post on June 9. The President also announced the nomination of Lt. Gen. William Shelton to be the new chief of warfighting integration on the Air Force Secretariat as well as USAF’s chief, information officer. Shelton is currently commander of 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic-Space).
The Pentagon released its new National Defense Strategy late Jan. 23, emphasizing a new commitment to the Western Hemisphere. But while that focus garnered most of the headlines, the strategy’s subtle shifts on China raise questions about how the Trump administration aims to leverage U.S. military power in the Indo-Pacific.
