: On Tuesday, the Obama Administration nominated Erin Conaton, who has served with the House Armed Services Committee since 2001, to become the undersecretary of the Air Force, a position that has been vacant since Ronald Sega left the post in August 2007. According to the White House press release, Conaton currently is committee staff director and previously served as the minority staff director and as a professional staff member covering a range of defense policy issues. Prior to that, she was the research staff director for DOD’s US Commission on National Security/21st Century, known as the Hart-Rudman Commission. She received a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.