President Obama has tapped Gen. William Fraser, Air Combat Command boss since September 2009, to be the next commander of US Transportation Command at Scott AFB, Ill. Fraser would replace Gen. Duncan McNabb, who is retiring after leading TRANSCOM since September 2008 and after having served more than 37 years in uniform. Fraser is a command pilot with more than 4,200 flight hours in bombers, tankers, trainers, and the C-21 Lear jet. The Air Force has not announced McNabb’s retirement date yet.
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…