Army Air Forces Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay succeeds Brig. Gen. Haywood “Possum” Hansell as commander of XXI Bomber Command in the Mariana Islands.
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.

