News
A new bill aims to make defrauded GI Bill vets whole again. Will it?
Alphosia Black recalls hearing mixed reviews about the University of Phoenix. It was 2011, and Black was looking for a school that fit her busy schedule. She worked full-time at the Defense Department as a unit administrator and served in the Army Reserve, working in command logistics. Black liked how Phoenix offered online and in-person classes, and she remembers Phoenix alumni co-workers at the Defense Department telling her a degree would help her career.
Ukraine’s Zelensky arrives in US to present ‘victory plan’ to defeat Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured a Pennsylvania ammunition plant on Sunday as he began a key visit to the United States in which he is expected to present his blueprint to defeat Russia to President Joe Biden and other allies.
‘Proud to protect’: Aircraft carrier USS Truman deploys to Middle East
Dozens of family members and friends gathered Monday at Naval Station Norfolk to wish the crew of the Truman fair winds and following seas ahead of a deployment that is expected to take the warship’s strike group into the Middle East.
Air Force
Airman who helped save Afghan kids’ lives finally gets his due after paperwork snafu
Master Sgt. Matthew Parker has finally received recognition for helping to save the lives of three children after one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in Afghanistan more than three years ago.
How the Air Force Reserve overcame its recruiting crisis
After two years of storm clouds, the future looks bright for Air Force Reserve Command recruiting, which exceeded its fiscal year 2024 goal of 7,200 Airmen by about 1.2%
World War II airman’s remains identified after 79 years
Staff Sgt. John A. Tarbert of the Air Force died weeks before his son was born, but he was accounted for only this year.
Air Force to revamp PME for top enlisted to focus on China
A professional development course for the highest-ranking enlisted Airmen will go on hiatus for several months as the Air Force revamps its curriculum to reflect modern geopolitics, the service said in a recent release.
Aggressor F-16 fleet set to be slashed by Air Force
The U.S. Air Force is set to significantly cut back the number of F-16 Viper aggressor jets at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, including those flown by a squadron that stood up in a high profile manner just last year. This comes despite a surge in demand for “red air” adversary support training and test and evaluation activities and raises broader questions about the future of the service’s steadily aging F-16 fleet.
Air Force to keep up bombers rotations in Australia amid China’s ‘heavy-handedness’
The Air Force is keeping the momentum going with its bomber deployments in Australia, with regional allies increasingly “welcoming” them as a strategic counterbalance to China’s growing assertiveness.
Space Force
Space Force developing plan for maneuverable GEO satellite services
The Space Force is planning to partner with commercial companies operating in geostationary orbit for a variety of satellite services, including communications and positioning, navigation and timing.
The Space Force issued thousands of smartwatches to replace PT tests
The Space Force is halfway through its two-year experiment of monitoring fitness via smartwatches instead of physical fitness tests. The service’s top enlisted leader recently shared his experience with the program — and how he envisions health data intersecting with troop readiness.
Veterans
Powerful new film “Breakthrough” aims to raise awareness of posttraumatic growth during Suicide Prevention Month
As part of its ongoing effort to reshape the conversation around trauma and mental health, Boulder Crest Foundation will release a new short film titled Breakthrough on September 19, 2024, during Suicide Prevention Month.
Congress presses VA for fixes to lingering suicide hotline outages
Lawmakers want Veterans Affairs leaders to better secure the department’s suicide prevention hotline amid a spate of short-term outages in the emergency lifeline, even though officials have insisted those challenges have not resulted in widespread problems for operations.
