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Ex-Marine chief joins
Olympic Committee

Lt. Gen. Wallace "Chip" Gregson, the former commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, has been named the chief operating officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Gregson relinquished command to Maj. Gen. John F. Goodman on Aug. 3 and is on leave pending his retirement after more than 37 years of active service. Gregson will begin his new duties Sept. 1.

At Pearl Harbor, Capt. Fred Pfirrmann has assumed command of Destroyer Squadron 31, relieving Capt. Pete Gumataotao, who will become the director of current operations with U.S. Pacific Command. Squadron 31 includes the destroyers USS Chafee, USS Hopper, USS O'Kane, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Russell and USS Chung Hoon and frigates USS Crommelin and USS Reuben James.

Coast Guard Capt. Michael D. Inman has assumed command of the cutter Jarvis, relieving Capt. Michael A. Jett, who is transferring to the 7th Coast Guard District in Miami to take on the role of chief of law enforcement in the service's busiest district. He will be responsible for all Coast Guard law enforcement and maritime security matters in the southeastern United States, Caribbean, South and Central America. This will be Inman's fifth tour at sea and his second command. He previously served as commanding officer of the Coast Guard cutter Acushnet in Ketchikan, Alaska.

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A federal judge handed down a decision Friday that the Pentagon has no authority to eliminate a Pennsylvania Air National Guard fighter wing without the state governor's approval.

U.S. District Judge John Padova called the Pentagon's recommendation to deactivate the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 111th Fighter Wing "null and void" because Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell had not consented to the decision, a Department of Justice official confirmed.

The decision came as the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted to close Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pa., the 111th Fighter Wing's home, the American Press Service reported.

News reports said the state of Illinois has filed a lawsuit similar to Pennsylvania's involving its Air National Guard, and Missouri has threatened to do the same.

During a mid-July interview with the American Forces Press Service, Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, acknowledged that the Defense Department's recommendations could have a big impact on the Air Guard.