News
Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira sentenced to 15 years in prison
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Massachusetts Air National Guard member to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents about the war in Ukraine.
Air Force
20,440 days and counting. Missing airman’s family not giving up on bringing him home.
There were no shovels in the ground over the past year to search for the body of Maj. San D. Francisco, a Kennewick High graduate, who was shot down over Vietnam.
US, Japanese athletes gather for Special Olympics at Air Force base in Tokyo
Daisy Elliot was among 101 young athletes from across Japan who gathered at this airlift hub in western Tokyo over the weekend for the 45th Kanto Plains Special Olympics.
Fresh F-15E fighters arrive in Middle East to replace departing jets
F-15Es from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., have deployed to the Middle East, replacing Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., that recently wrapped up a rotation in the region.
Space Force
That’s CHAPPIE: Why the Space Force has a nuclear material sniffing robot
Troops stationed at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado might notice an odd four-legged robot loping around the base. That’s CHAPPIE. The Space Force has a robot dog that hunts down dangerous material. And yes, it is apparently named after “Chappie,” the 2015 Neil Blomkamp-directed science-fiction movie where a police robot is stolen by members of the South African rap group Die Antwoord and becomes a criminal-slash-revolutionary.
Defense
State Department OKs $5 billion sale of early warning aircraft to South Korea
The U.S. State Department recently signed off on the possible sale of four E-7 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, also known as the Wedgetail, to bolster South Korea’s reconnaissance capabilities.
Rocket Lab wins $8 million US Air Force contract for engine development
Space company Rocket Lab secured an $8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance digital engineering processes for its Archimedes rocket engine, the company announced Nov. 12
Veterans
VA plans to drop co-pays for all telehealth services
Veterans Affairs leaders plan to eliminate all co-pays for telehealth services and award grants for telehealth clinics in rural areas, part of ongoing efforts to expand virtual care options within the medical care system.
VA set to add leukemia, multiple myeloma to list of conditions linked to burn pits
The Department of Veterans Affairs has started the process to designate multiple myeloma and acute and chronic leukemias as linked to military service in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and elsewhere, a change that will give affected veterans quicker access to disability compensation.
Rural veterans are struggling with access to VA-provided care
Amanda Flener and her military veteran husband, John, survived hurricane Helene without a scratch. Their routine access to Veterans Affairs healthcare for John’s medical conditions didn’t fare so well.
Conflict in the workplace: Do you negotiate or debate?
Facing conflict is never fun, whether it’s at work, in our personal lives, on social media or elsewhere. When we encounter a disagreement, we can easily blur the lines between logic and emotion and fail to find a path forward that works for everyone involved.
California governor to pursue posthumous pardon for Medal of Honor recipient
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has begun the process to grant a posthumous pardon to Richard “Butch” Penry, a Petaluma resident who won the Medal of Honor for his bravery in Vietnam.
Virginia veterans can connect to services through new state website
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration launched an all-in-one website for statewide veterans benefits during a Veterans Day event.
