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FB: Rand confirmed. Gen. Robin Rand, previous head of Air Education and Training Command and a career fighter pilot, has been confirmed as the new leader of Global Strike Command.

The Senate on Friday confirmed Gen. Robin Rand has been confirmed as the first four-star general to lead Air Force Global Strike Command.

Rand, a career fighter pilot whose previous job was previously the commander of Air Education and Training Command, was confirmed by the Senate last week. Rand is a career fighter pilot who previously has not worked in the nuclear field. However Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said he is the "ideal airman" to lead force improvements that are underway in the command.

"Elevating the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command to 4-stars places the right level of emphasis on this priority mission; and as I've said before, we will continue to provide persistent leadership and persistent focus on our nuclear force," James said in a statement. "Gen. Rand is the right leader to do just that."

The previous leader of Global Strike Command, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, has been nominated to be deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command. President Obama announced Rand's nomination on Feb. 26.

The Air Force raised the Global Strike top spot to a four-star billet because it "deserves the highest level of leadership oversight similar to our other operational core mission areas," James said in announcing the move. It is part of a large-scale effort to address morale and integrity issues in Global Strike Command that came to light in a in early 2014 investigation of cheating by launch officers on proficiency tests. A three-star general has led the command since it was created in 2009.

Rand took over AETC in 2013. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 hours in the F-16, T-38 and T-37. He has also served as commandant of the Air Force Weapons School and led multiple fighter wings.

The previous leader of Global Strike Command, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, has been nominated to be deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command.

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