Defense Secretary Robert Gates announces that the command billet for US Air Forces in Europe would be reduced from a four-star to a three-star post with the next command change. He announces the same rank reduction for the US Army and Navy components for US European Command.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
