President Obama said he intends to nominate Navy Deputy Undersecretary Eric Fanning to be the next Air Force undersecretary. If the Senate confirms him, Fanning would fill the service’s No. 2 top leadership post that’s been vacant since June with the departure of Erin Conaton to be the Pentagon’s personnel and readiness chief. “I am honored by the President’s announcement, and look forward to working with the Congress and continuing to serve the Department of Defense during the confirmation process,” said Fanning in the White House’s Aug. 1 release. He is currently the sea service’s deputy undersecretary for business operations and transformation and its deputy chief management officer. In addition to representing the Air Force on behalf of the Secretary, the undersecretary is the Air Force’s chief management officer, its senior energy official, and the focal point for space issues within Air Force Headquarters. Jamie Morin has been the Air Force’s acting undersecretary for the past month. (See also Air Force headquarters release.)
Back from a Thanksgiving week recess, the push to pass the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act hit another snag Nov. 29, as the Senate voted against ending debate on its version of the bill. At the same time, Congress is staring down a Dec. 3 expiration date for its continuing…