News
US Air Force grounds Osprey fleet after dangerous clutch problem
A problem with the clutch on Air Force Special Operations Command’s CV-22 Osprey aircraft has prompted the command to ground its fleet while it tries to find the cause.
US airstrike in Somalia kills 13 militants, DOD says
A U.S. airstrike killed an estimated 13 al-Shabab militants in Somalia on Sunday, according to a U.S. Africa Command news release Aug. 17.
Ukraine ‘testing ground’ shaping US network, electronic warfare effort
Fierce battles being waged in Ukraine are showcasing cyber and electronic warfare and their consequences for connectivity and communications, according to the deputy commanding general at U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Here’s all the US military equipment that ended up in Taliban hands during the fall of Kabul
As Taliban fighters encircled Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul during the U.S. military’s harried withdrawal from the 20-year war there last August, the Biden administration admitted that the militant group had captured a significant amount of military equipment originally provided to the Afghan security forces, although officials couldn’t say for sure how much.
Business
Boeing, Northrop Grumman join group pushing 3D printing to small suppliers
The White House-backed compact is also part of an effort to make supply chains more resilient.
Gulf Coast shipyards growing capacity while Navy shipbuilding plans remain unsettled
From the fantail of the 24,000-ton Richard M. McCool, Jr., (LPD-28), one can see the world’s most complex warships coming together, with shipbuilders welding, painting and running cables in the Mississippi sun.
Defense
US Air Force seeks to extend winning streak in hypersonic weapon tests
The U.S. Air Force expects to fly its hypersonic Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon at least once more this year, following a pair of successful tests.
Marines reporting ‘tremendous success’ convincing troops to stay in the service
The Marine Corps is celebrating the “tremendous success” of the Commandant’s Retention Program — one of the branch’s latest efforts to not only retain Marines but transform the force into an older, more elite organization.
With FMS, Air Force looks to integrate with allies earlier and in new ways
With a new policy in hand, the Air Force’s Foreign Military Sales enterprise is looking to go beyond selling U.S. Air Force systems to allies and partner nations — and instead to help them develop their own capabilities.
Veterans
Record pay increase likely coming for disabled veterans and military retirees in 2023
Military retirees and veterans receiving disability pay from the Department of Veterans Affairs are likely to see record monthly check increases for the second year running thanks to the pace of inflation, according to new estimates.
Plan to erase $4B in ITT student loans won’t restore GI Bill benefits
More than 200,000 students who attended classes at ITT Technical Institute will see their student loan debt erased under plans announced by the Department of Education on Aug. 16, but the move won’t restore GI Bill benefits for veterans defrauded by the school.
Advocates worry scammers will soon target vets due to receive new burn pit benefits
Veterans who have been waiting more than a decade for dedicated burn pit compensation and health care might have one more thing to worry about as they wait for last week’s historic toxic exposure legislation to take effect.
Are extremism and violent crime rising among veterans, or are we just seeing more of it?
U.S. service members take an oath to protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, so it raises alarm bells and grabs headlines whenever a veteran commits an act of anti-government extremism.