News
Plan to avert government shutdown does not include extra VA funds
Congressional leaders included a new mandate on quarterly finance reports from Veterans Affairs leaders but no additional department funding in their year-end budget extension package unveiled this week.
Live in the Tricare West Region? Do this before Dec. 31.
Changes are coming to Tricare regions on Jan. 1, 2025, and certain military beneficiaries who are — or will be — in the West Region have less than two weeks to provide their payment information to the new contractor.
VA review finds underused therapists and misused scheduling for mental health care at Georgia clinic
A program designed to educate veterans on the various treatments for mental health conditions actually hindered access to medical care and contributed to the underuse of six therapists at a Georgia Veterans Affairs clinic, a Department of Veterans Affairs investigation found.
Air Force expands waivers for recruits with asthma, food allergies
The Air Force Recruiting Service’s Accessions Medical Waiver Division decided to expand tolerances after the Air Force whiffed on recruiting goals last year for the first time since 1999, division head Col. Ian Gregory told the magazine.
Extra parts, people powered F-35 readiness on latest Pacific deployment
Marine Corps F-35 jets enjoyed some of their highest-ever readiness rates during a five-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific—largely because amphibious warship Boxer had enough spare parts and manpower to maintain 10 of the jets but only carried six for most of the deployment.
Air Force
Drones spotted flying near Wright-Patterson AFB again
The drones have returned.
Could this program at Cannon be a model for health care at remote Air Force bases?
An effort at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., to bring in medical specialists from afar seems to be paying off, with families driving less and requesting fewer travel vouchers to access care. Three other Air Force bases around the country have expressed in the program, suggesting that it could serve as a template in remote areas.
Master sergeant wins $250,000 on mountain-climbing reality show ‘The Summit’
Ladeania Jackson, an Air National Guard master sergeant, and three others who completed a 14-day challenge in the Southern Alps of New Zealand shared a $1 million prize on the reality TV show “The Summit.”
Photos: Operation Christmas Drop delivers 77,300 pounds of aid, ends with elephant walk
Seven C-130 airlifters from five countries lined up for an “elephant walk” on Guam and then flew alongside each other Dec. 14 to cap off Operation Christmas Drop.
Space Force
Big to-do list in 2025 for Space Force
The Space Force celebrates its fifth birthday Dec. 20, but Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman is already looking ahead to year six.
US Space Force to test laser communications on a GPS satellite
The U.S. Space Force and Lockheed Martin plan to conduct its first-ever laser communications test from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite. If successful, this technology could enhance the precision and efficiency of the navigation system used by billions worldwide.
Defense
These are Saab’s concepts for its next generation fighter, drones
Swedish defense firm Saab has presented concepts for a potential new-generation crewed fighter and a series of drones intended to work alongside it. With a long history of domestic combat aircraft development, a sixth-generation fighter and complementary stealthy drones make sense for Sweden, although there are big questions about whether this is a realistic prospect without joining forces with other countries.
