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.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.