Rear Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr., program executive for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system at the Missile Defense Agency, has been nominated for assignment as director of strategic systems programs at Washington Navy Yard and for appointment to the rank of vice admiral.

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced Wolfe’s nomination in a Defense Department  press release published Wednesday.

Wolfe previously held the roles of deputy chief engineer, head of the fire control and guidance branch, nuclear weapons security and SSGN coordinator and head of the missile branch at the SSP headquarters.

He served as technical director and deputy direct reporting program manager before he was promoted to his current rank and assigned to manage the Aegis program.

He also served as assistant weapons officer onboard USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN 644) four four years and as lead systems engineer of a joint skunkworks project at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Wolfe is a recipient of a Joint Services Commendation Medal, Legion of Merit Bronze Star and Navy Commendation Medal.

John Rood, defense undersecretary for policy, and Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday provided Senate Armed Services Committee members a classified preview of President Donald Trump’s draft Nuclear Posture Review, Defense News reported Tuesday.

The draft document seeks to advance the development of low-yield nuclear weapons for U.S. submarines and sub-launched cruise missiles.

The Trump administration plans to issue a final version of the review in February.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said the document should be publicly released.

“That’s not just public for the American public ― it will be public for other countries to read,” Sullivan noted.

“So much of any nuclear deterrence policy relies on credibility.”

The Defense Department also released a national security strategy that aims to expand the competitive space through military readiness, alliances and changes to DoD’s business practices.

Beth McGrath, former deputy chief management officer at the Defense Department, told Nextgov in an interview published Tuesday that Congress’ decision to provide the new CMO role with authority over information technology management decisions makes sense as DoD works to reform its business operations.

“Over time, with the increased focus from Congress and the department on how do we optimize the business operations, so much of it, especially now, is driven by IT,” said McGrath, who is now managing director of Deloitte’s federal practice.

“Over time, the legislation has brought together business performance and IT to say, ‘You can’t think about them separately’ because business should be—and is—IT-enabled, then we really need to think about how we’re driving the business to include the IT aspect,” she added.

Her statements came after President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate John Gibson, DoD’s current DCMO, as the agency’s CMO.

U.S. aircraft and airmen have arrived in Afghanistan in support of the U.S. Air Force and Afghan national defense and security force’s efforts to eliminate Taliban militant group forces in the region.

The U.S. Air Forces Central Command said Tuesday the A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft squadron will help boost close air support and precision strike capacities for counter-terrorism missions.

Additional aircraft will be placed at the Kandahar Airfield including MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to support operations including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as personnel recovery and search and rescue missions.

“In the coming weeks, the A-10’s operations will be integrated into our combined U.S. and Afghan air campaign to deliver destructive precision firepower,” said Brig. Gen. Lance Bunch, chief of the Air Force’s future operations branch.

The A-10s will launch strike missions against Taliban forces alongside F-22, F-16, B-52, MQ-9 and U.S. Navy F-18 aircraft to destroy adversary narcotics production facilities and other revenue streams.

The report noted the Afghan air force will also increase its aircraft fleet within the next seven years through the addition of the AC-208 attack aircraft, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, A-29 attack aircraft and MD-530 attack helicopters.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has said the country will establish an embassy in Jerusalem, Israel before 2020, years earlier than what was previously predicted, National Republic Radio reported Monday.

Pence announced the decision to establish a U.S. embassy in Jerusalem during a speech before the Israeli parliament known as the Knesset.

U.S. President Donald Trump previously announced the country recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and will look to establish a new embassy in the city.

Rex Tillerson, U.S. State Secretary, predicted in December the establishment of an embassy in Jerusalem would take at least three years and senior White House leaders noted the current embassy cannot be transferred to an existing facility in the city.

Israeli lawmakers applauded the decision to establish a U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, but Israeli Arab lawmakers and Palestinian leaders lambasted the decision which impacts a long-running conflict regarding control of the city.

The current U.S. embassy resides in Tel Aviv.

Pence also said the U.S. would support a two-state approach which covers the establishment of an independent Palestine beside the state of Israel.

Rear Adm. Sara Joyner, head of the U.S. Navy‘s Physiological Episode Action Team, will be assigned as director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s manpower and personnel directorate, or J1, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

Joyner leads a Navy team tasked to examine occurrences of physiological episodes among naval aircraft pilots and coordinate with technical professionals to explore PE mitigation strategies.

She became a naval aviator in 1991 and went on to serve in various leadership positions in the Navy, including roles as commanding officer of the Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron; commander of the Carrier Air Wing 3; and director of the Navy Senate Liaison within the Office of Legislative Affairs.

The J1 directorate advises and supports the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters related to manpower and personnel.