Lt. Gen. William Fraser received his fourth star Oct. 8 during a promotion ceremony in the Pentagon and became the Air Force’s 34th vice chief of staff. President Bush nominated Fraser for the post in July as part of the service’s leadership shakeup in the wake of two errant shipments of nuclear-related materials dating back to 2006. The Senate confirmed Fraser earlier this month. Fraser, who replaces Gen. Duncan McNabb as vice chief, had been serving since May 2006 as assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Air Force photo caption by Michael Pausic)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.