News
Congress faces Friday budget deadline to avoid government shutdown
Lawmakers have just one week left to reach a federal funding deal or trigger a partial government shutdown that would shutter some Defense Department and Veterans Affairs services.
Congress readies troop pay protections as federal shutdown looms again
In a sign of another concerning congressional funding fight, House lawmakers are again considering legislation which would protect military pay in the event of a government shutdown later this month.
The Army is losing nearly one-quarter of soldiers in the first 2 years of enlistment
The Army is grappling with a staggering attrition rate among newly enlisted troops, even as recent recruiting figures suggest the service is clawing its way out of a yearslong enlistment crisis.
Unemployment rate for veterans ticks down as Trump touts boost in manufacturing jobs
The unemployment rate for veterans ticked down from 4.2% to 4.1% in February despite the Trump administration’s push for major cuts in the federal workforce, the government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday in its monthly jobs report.
China bans more US defense firms
China banned 25 more U.S. firms, the latest addition to a bourgeoning list of American defense firms barred from conducting economic activity there.
Air Force
B-21 aerial refueling demands further point to it being a stealthy flying gas can
The U.S. Air Force’s vision for employing its future B-21 Raiders includes new requirements around refueling the stealth bombers in flight. The B-21, which is still deep in development, is expected to have an extremely long unrefueled range thanks to very large internal fuel capacity, a highly efficient airframe, and advanced engines.
How one Air Force General explains information warfare—using football
As deputy commander of the 16th Air Force, the organization responsible for information warfare, Maj. Gen. Larry Broadwell has a difficult task explaining what he does to outsiders.
Air Force intercepts aircraft flying in a restricted zone near Mar-a-Lago
Air Force fighter jets intercepted a civilian aircraft flying in the temporarily restricted airspace near Donald Trump’s Florida home Sunday, bringing the number of violations to more than 20 since the president took office on Jan. 20.
UK jets escort US bombers in Middle East ‘show of force’
Typhoons deployed in the Middle East have escorted US Air Force B-52 bombers and conducted integration training with regional and coalition air forces as part of ongoing Bomber Task Force (BTF) operations.
Space Force
Space Force secretly tested sensors that alert when China is watching
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office quietly launched prototype payloads on a satellite two years ago to signal operators when the spacecraft is being tracked by China’s space surveillance network—a capability the office could deploy aboard other satellites.
US military’s mini space shuttle returns to Earth after secret mission
The U.S. military’s classified mini space shuttle returned to Earth on Friday after circling the world for 434 days.
Veterans
Ex-administrator of leading POW/MIA advocate faces prison for devastating theft
A Virginia woman whose scheming almost liquidated a prominent advocacy organization for American prisoners of war now awaits punishment for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
