Congress Clears $40 Billion Ukraine Aid Spending Authority; Biden Plans Another Shipment
The Senate followed the House’s lead Thursday with a bipartisan vote authorizing $40 billion in military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. “The resources that I requested will allow us to send even more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, replenish our own...
Milley Speaks to His Russian Counterpart for First Time in Three Months
Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley spoke by phone Thursday with Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff. It’s the first time they have spoken since Feb. 18, six days before Russia invaded Ukraine. They “discussed several security-related issues of...
Army’s Partnership Awards Recognize Several Communities
Six installation-community partnerships in the U.S. were recognized Thursday at the 2021 Partnership Awards, according to an Army press release. “The awards focus on partnerships between the Army and communities that have enhanced readiness, supported reform...
Some HASC Dems Ask Austin to Drop Commissary Costs to Help with Inflation
Eight Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee have asked DOD to remove Defense Commissary Agency revenue requirements to help military families deal with inflation. “Military families have invested billions of dollars through the commissary surcharge...
Snap of the Week
Loadmasters from the 315th Operations Support Squadron sit at the back of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft over Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina during a spouse flight May 14. The flights are a chance for spouses to see what Joint Base Charleston airmen do in...
Wormuth, McConville Hint at a Larger U.S. Presence in Europe Down the Road
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told House appropriators Tuesday that they expect the U.S. will expand its footprint in Europe after Russia’s war in Ukraine ends. They said U.S. presence in the region helped the U.S....
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PAST STORIES
Army to Sign 100th IGSA Today
A signing ceremony Wednesday at Fort Meade, Maryland will mark the Army’s 100th intergovernmental support agreement, the service said in a press release. “From these 100 Army IGSAs, the Department of Defense has achieved over $28 million in savings annually, and over...
DOD’s New Suicide Prevention Panel to Visit Several Installations
The Pentagon formally stood up a 10-member panel Tuesday to address service member suicide. It will be headed by Dr. Gayle Iwamasa, a mental health professional at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a release. The group has begun meeting and will in the...
Sen. Paul Plans to Hold Ukraine Aid Vote to Last Minute
The Senate may not vote on the House-passed Ukraine aid bill until Thursday, which is about when the administration said it needs the additional spending authority to continue providing military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself...
Kendall: Air Force Wants to Settle SPACECOMM Basing Controversy Soon
The DOD inspector general has said Air Force officials followed proper procedures when they made the decision in late 2020 to move Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama. Officials in Colorado – where SPACECOMM is currently based – have said for more than...
Biden Orders Small Troop Presence Back to Somalia
The U.S. will send a few hundred service members back to Somalia to re-establish a “small, persistent” presence, a senior administration official said Monday, according to Defense One. “This is a step that rationalizes what was essentially an irrational arrangement...
Troops Deployed to NATO Nations Will Rotate Soon
Service members rapidly deployed to NATO countries near Ukraine as Russia began its invasion will start to rotate out this summer, Pentagon officials said, as Military Times reported. “The deployments are one-for-one unit replacements, which will leave our overall...
Austin Speaks to Russian Counterpart
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Friday with his Russian counterpart, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. “Secretary Austin urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of...
Pentagon CTO Vows Her Support for DIU after Director Leaves
The Pentagon’s chief technology officer told lawmakers last week she is committed to the Defense Innovation Unit’s objective to leverage commercial technology to boost DOD’s mission, as C4ISRNET reported. DIU Director Michael Brown recently announced he’s leaving his...
Wormuth, McConville Say Army Modernization Efforts Paying Off in Ukraine
The Army’s modernization priorities are proving helpful, Army leaders told House lawmakers Thursday, pointing to Ukraine’s capabilities against Russia, Army Times reported. “Long-range precision fires are extremely important,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville...
Feinstein, Rubio Push for Space National Guard
Led by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a bipartisan group of Senators has introduced the Space National Guard Establishment Act. Currently about 1,000 Guard members are working on space issues but are part of the Air National Guard,...
Snap of the Week
U.S. Marines with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, run to cover during the Sapper Leaders Course at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina May 11. The Sapper Leaders Course provides combat engineer squad leaders with the technical and tactical proficiency...
Coming Months in Russia-Ukraine War to Be ‘Unpredictable and Potentially Escalatory,’ Intel Chief Says
Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community said Tuesday on Capitol Hill that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a prolonged war in Ukraine but that it would require him to declare war and mobilize more troops, Stars and Stripes reported. “Putin faces a mismatch...
House Sends Ukraine Aid Package to Senate
The House voted late Tuesday night to authorize another $40 billion for military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The vote was 368-57. “With this aid package, America sends a resounding message to the world of our unwavering determination to stand with the...
DCIP Grant Applications Being Accepted Now Through July 18
The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is now accepting grant applications for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program for fiscal year 2022. The grant process information has now been posted on Grants.gov. OLDCC also released a fact sheet for...
In Our Communities
As the Army plans to potentially reflag U.S. Army Alaska as the 11th Airborne Division, it may move out some Stryker vehicles and move in more personnel to create an upgraded headquarters for the region, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told Senators Tuesday, as Army...
Congress Moving Ahead on $40 Billion Ukraine Aid Package
The House may consider legislation as soon as today to authorize $40 billion in aid for Ukraine as it fights off Russia, CQ reported. The amount, earmarked for military, economic and humanitarian support, is more than what the White House asked for. President Biden...
Air Force Ending Base of Preference Program for Senior Enlisted Airmen
The Air Force is stopping the Base of Preference program that has allowed senior enlisted airmen to choose their next duty stations, effective June 1. Air Force officials said the program wasn’t working as planned and is costly, according to an internal memo obtained...
In Our Communities
Air Force Times visited Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to see a major runway expansion that is approaching completion. The construction is replacing a 70-year old runway that was falling apart to the point that aircraft from other bases would avoid landing at...
Media Reports: U.S. Seemingly Inches Closer to Confronting Russia
Leaked intelligence reports over the past several days show the U.S. taking a heavier role in supporting Ukraine than President Biden and DOD officials have officially disclosed, as Military.com reported. It appears, for example, that U.S. intelligence helped in the...
First Lady Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine
First Lady Jill Biden visited Ukraine Sunday, a surprise rare move for a First Lady to visit a war zone. She met with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. They also visited a nearby school housing migrants. “We understand what it takes for the U.S. first lady to come...
SASC Advances Chaudhary to Lead Air Force Installations
The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted 15-7 to advance Ravi Chaudhary’s nomination to become assistant Air Force secretary for energy, installations and the environment. Some Republicans went after Chaudhary in his confirmation hearing about a 2021 op-ed in...
Defense Innovation Unit Head to Retire in September
The head of the Defense Innovation Unit will leave his post in September, a DOD spokesperson confirmed Friday, according to Defense News, confirming a Politico report. Michael Brown has been DIU director since 2018. Politico reported Brown is leaving because of a...
In Our Communities
More than 100 current and former military housing residents at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii have filed for compensation related to the Red Hill fuel leak that contaminated much of the water at the base late last year. Fifteen others filed similar claims in...
OLDCC Accepting DCIP Requests Soon
Defense communities can soon start applying for fiscal year 2022 funding through the Defense Communities Infrastructure Program, OLDCC announced Thursday in a public releaes “In the coming days, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation will issue an...
Senators Concerned about Shrinking Army Force
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee asked Army leaders Thursday about plans to decrease the size of the Army, Stars & Stripes reported. The Army’s fiscal year 2023 budget request would cut the force from 476,000 to 473,000. Military officials say...