Nominations Approved

The Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday approved the president's nomination of Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh to become the service's next chief of staff.

The committee also approved the nominations of Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly to become the head of U.S. Southern Command and Army National Guard Lt. Gen. Frank Grass to become head of the National Guard Bureau.

Click here to view the officers' answers to advance policy questions at their July 19 nomination hearing.

We also have this from last Friday's Inside the Air Force:

Welsh, Nominated As Service Chief, Promises More Open Budget Process

The general likely to become the Air Force's next chief of staff told Senators this week that the service's fiscal year 2013 budget was put together using a flawed process and that future budget submissions will solicit more input from state officials and the reserve components.