Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson is the nominee to take charge of Air Education and Training Command at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, announced the Air Force on Tuesday. Roberson would remain at his current rank for the position since the Air Force is changing AETC’s command billet from a four-star post to a three-star position as it elevates Air Force Global Strike Command’s leadership position from a three-star post to a four-star billet. Roberson received his third star in May 2014 when he became commander of 3rd Air Force at Ramstein AB, Germany. He would replace Gen. Robin Rand at AETC; Rand has led the command since October 2013. President Obama in February nominated Rand to take over AFGSC, becoming the first four-star general in that role. The Senate in March confirmed Rand for the position. Filling 3rd AF’s command slot would be Maj. Gen. Timothy Ray, whom Obama nominated for a third star as part of this assignment. Since February 2014, Ray has been director of Global Power Programs in the Air Force Secretariat’s acquisition office.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…