The Defense Department has designated Richard Wightman to serve as the acting assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs following the appointment of Jessica Wright as the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, according to a July 11 Pentagon release. Wightman, a retired Army general officer, previously served as the principal deputy assistant secretary for reserve affairs. In his new position, he will serve as a “key advisor” to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on issues regarding the reserve components.
The B-21 Raider stealth bomber was recently flown, for the first time, by an operational pilot as part of its flight test process, the Air Force said June 11. And a top Pentagon official said the move to bring operational testing into the B-21 process earlier than normal shows the…