Leon Panetta replaces Robert Gates at Secretary of Defense. Gates had led the Defense Department since December 2006, serving both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Panetta previously was Director of Central Intelligence.
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed during a training mission in Michigan on Sept. 17. The fighter's sole pilot ejected and is in stable condition at a local hospital.
