President Barack Obama has nominated Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold to be commander of Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla., according to a March 18 Defense Department release. Heithold currently serves as the vice commander of US Special Operations Command at the Pentagon. If the Senate approves his nomination he will replace Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, who has led AFSOC since June 2011.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.