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).
A cracked engine part sparked a massive fire that caused shrapnel and burn injuries to an Airman and nearly $15 million in serious damages to a B-1B Lancer bomber last spring. The bomber’s jet engine was running as mechanics at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, were working on its hydraulics…