News
Alaska senator blocks Navy chief confirmation
Republican Dan Sullivan is holding up Adm. Daryl Caudle’s nomination until the Pentagon agrees to reopen a long-shuttered military base.
Senate confirms senior VA advisor to become next department watchdog
Republican senators on Thursday confirmed senior Veterans Affairs advisor Cheryl Mason as the next top watchdog for Veterans Affairs programs, despite objections from Democratic lawmakers who questioned her ability to be an impartial investigator of the department.
The Army Reserve is gutting aviation units. Thousands of soldiers are being left in the lurch.
Thousands of Army Reserve soldiers are being forced to scramble for new assignments after the service abruptly ordered the dismantling of its helicopter units, a sweeping move that has caught commanders off guard and upended aviation operations across the country.
After Trump’s Ukraine pivot, Senate panel moves to fund more military aid
Bipartisan groups in Congress are vying to preserve a weapons program that the administration proposed eliminating.
‘A nightmare’: The Coast Guard’s harrowing flight to Camp Mystic
On July 4, members of Coast Guard Rescue 6553 found themselves in a treacherous search-and-rescue mission to save hundreds of stranded girls in Texas after historic flooding tore through the region.
Air Force
Air Force Rebrands Facebook Page to Combat Rumors, Leaked Memos
A long-standing Air Force Facebook page created to represent its top enlisted leader has been renamed and rebranded as a news source, an apparent move by the service to control online conversation and messaging within the ranks.
New commander takes charge of Edwards Air Force Base
Col. Thomas Tauer now leads the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base
Space Force
Fort Huachuca recommended for new Space Force mission
Congressman Juan Ciscomani is urging the U.S. Air Force to consider Fort Huachuca in Cochise County for a new U.S. Space Force mission.
Defense
Aerospace and defense firm expanding operations in Colorado Springs, to add 500 jobs
A veteran-owned aerospace and defense firm headquartered in Colorado Springs is expanding its operations locally, expecting to create around 500 jobs and invest more than $7 million into the community.
THAAD: Reach out and touch ballistic missiles
Lockheed Martin won a $2 billion modification for the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Interceptors to support the US government.
6 firms to join Northrop in autonomous-flight effort
The companies aim to use the defense giant’s Beacon ecosystem to flight-test their offerings later this year.
Cumbria report highlights wider impacts of submarine industry
A new social impact report by BAE Systems Submarines has highlighted the growing educational and community outreach associated with the UK’s nuclear submarine construction programme in Barrow-in-Furness.
South Korea wins trade deal with $150 billion US shipbuilding pledge
The idea of a very large Korean shipbuilding investment has been actively discussed for months as a possible bargaining chip in trade negotiations.
Palantir gets $10 billion contract from US Army
The award covering the next decade is one of the largest DoD contracts ever, cementing the tech firm’s role in warfighting for years to come.
Veterans
Proposal to expand private veterans health care pared down
Senate Democrats agreed to support a Republican effort to expand veterans’ access to private doctors through the Department of Veterans Affairs on the condition that a key provision will expire in eight years.
Watchdog finds VA missed evidence, failed to order exams for military sexual trauma claims
Overlooked evidence, incomplete records and a failure to order necessary medical exams have hampered claims for military sexual trauma at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a new federal watchdog report that also found a high turnover rate among processors.
Veterans Affairs whistleblowers may not be getting settlement benefits due to a lack of oversight
The Government Accountability Office warned that VA needs to do a better job of tracking whistleblower settlement agreements.
Stolen ID – a veteran’s war at home
Georgia ranks second in the nation for identity theft, a crime that can cause a host of problems for consumers.
