The Senate confirmed the nomination of Maj. Gen. John Raymond to receive a third star for his new assignment as commander of 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. In this role, he will oversee the Air Force’s space forces. Senators approved Raymond’s nomination on Dec. 20, according to the Senate’s list of non-civilian confirmations. This was one week after the Pentagon announced that President Obama had tapped Raymond for this promotion. Raymond has been US Strategic Command’s director of plans and policy at Offutt AFB, Neb., since July 2012. In his new position, Raymond will also be STRATCOM’s joint functional component commander for space, leading the joint space forces assigned and attached to STRATCOM.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flew from Europe across the Middle East to the Persian Gulf on July 25 in a 32-hour flight, as conflicts continued to roil the area with U.S. troops coming under attack in Iraq and Syria on July 25 and July 26, U.S. officials told…