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.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
