The Senate has confirmed Adm. William Fallon to become the new head of US Central Command but is still working on the nomination of Gen. George Casey Jr. as the next Army Chief of Staff. Fallon got unanimous support from the Senate Armed Services Committee, while Casey’s nomination mustered three dissenters, notably Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has criticized Casey’s handling of the war in Iraq. The full Senate is slated to again consider Casey Thursday, following floor debate.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.