U.S. to End Combat Mission in Iraq to Focus on China, Russia
The U.S. will end its combat role in Iraq by the end of the year, President Joe Biden said this week. Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chair Gen. John Hyten also signaled the change. “We have to not ignore the threats in the Middle East, but deal with the threat to the...
Report: Biden to Require Vaccines for Federal Employees, Contractors; Service Members Free from Mandate for Now
President Joe Biden is expected to announce Thursday that all federal employees and contractors must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested regularly, CNN reported late Tuesday, citing a knowledgeable source. The President is expected to stop short of imposing...
Senate Deal on Capitol Security Reimburses Guard, Nixes Rapid Response Force
The top two appropriators in the Senate announced a spending deal Tuesday that would fund the Capitol police and reimburse the National Guard for its deployment to Capitol Hill following the Jan. 6 riots. Guard leaders have said without that $521 million it would have...
Senate Confirms Kendall as Air Force Secretary
The Senate confirmed Frank Kendall to become the new Air Force secretary. The voice vote Monday night came after three senators withdrew formal objections blocking Kendall’s confirmation. Kendall was the Pentagon’s acquisition chief during the Obama administration....
‘Mental Health Is Health,’ Austin Says
Mental health must be approached as any other health issue is, “with compassion and professionalism and resources,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said this weekend. “If you’re hurting, there are resources available.” Austin made the remarks while visiting Alaska,...
Vaccination Will Be Mandatory for All VA Health Care Frontliners
The Department of Veterans Affairs is giving all its frontline health care workers two months to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs, the department announced Monday in a press release. “I am doing this because it’s the best way to keep our...
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PAST STORIES
Senate NDAA Bill Would Expand Air Reserves to Include Space
The defense policy bill approved last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee would change the Air National Guard to the “Air and Space National Guard,” suggesting lawmakers do not want to create a separate reserve component for the Space Force. Air Force and...
Army Fighting Misinformation in Attempt to Boost Soldiers’ Vaccination Rate
Army leaders and commanders are trying to combat vaccine hesitancy among soldiers. Those who haven’t received their shots yet are typically in one of two camps, Col. Owen Price, the force health protection officer at Fort Bragg, N.C. told Military.com. “One is they...
Proposal Would Allow GI Bill Funds to Go to Business Startup Costs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying again to pass legislation allowing GI Bill benefits to be applied to business startup costs instead of schooling. “Higher education is essential for many [veterans], but some have a different calling,” one of the sponsors,...
DOD’s DEI Chief Talks with ADC Live
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will soon be reviewing language that attempts to define the type of extremism that DOD wants to try to root out of the military, according to Bishop Garrison, Austin’s senior advisor for human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion....
SASC Moves NDAA to Floor with $25B Bump for Pentagon
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed its fiscal year 2022 defense policy bill Thursday after closed door markup sessions. The bill passed the committee on a 23-3 vote. There was bipartisan support for a Republican amendment to authorize an additional $25 billion...
In Our Communities
Grand Forks County in North Dakota is seeking proposals for a military installation resiliency study. “Through the MIR study, the County is looking to assist Grand Forks AFB to optimize its mission efficiency and effectiveness, installation sustainment, and enhance...
Watch: SECDEF’s Climate Change Point Man Talks with ADC Live
It’s a “really timely moment” to be discussing climate change, Joe Bryan, special assistant to the defense secretary for climate change, said on stage Tuesday at ADC Reconnect. “We all know there’s something going on out there, and it’s not great.” Bryan also talked...
Reconnect in Review: Day Two
Here are some of the moments you may have missed during the closing day of ADC Reconnect: The Army’s installation strategy, released in December, will help prepare installations for an “information-age strategy” that recognizes adversaries have found ways to bring the...
Rep. Brown Gives DOD a B- on Diversity, Inclusion
DOD has earned a B-minus for diversity and inclusion but is on track to improve that with congressional support for more resources, Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday at ADC Reconnect. “Maybe by this time next...
Gillibrand’s Justice Reform Language Advances to SASC in NDAA Draft
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel subcommittee overwhelming approved a proposal by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to change how major crimes are handled by the military. The language will now be debated by the full committee Wednesday as it marks up...
Reconnect in Review
Here are some moments you may have missed Tuesday at day one of ADC Reconnect: “The Navy is open for business,” Vice Admiral Yancy Lindsey, commander of Navy Installations Command, said. “I think we did a pretty darn good job” of navigating the pandemic, he added,...
OLDCC Reviewing 70 DCIP Applications, O’Brien Says
The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation received 70 applications for Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants, the office’s director, Patrick O’Brien, said Tuesday at ADC Reconnect. OLDCC is reviewing those to determine which projects should move...
In Our Communities
Fort Lee, Virginia will house about 2,500 Afghans being evacuated to the U.S. for fear of Taliban retaliation for helping U.S. troops, DOD announced Monday. The Afghans will stay at the base during the special immigration visa application process, and some may be...
Your Guide to ADC Reconnect, Kicking Off Tuesday
Check out the digital guide to the ADC Reconnect conference that starts Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C. and runs through Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday’s sessions include town halls on the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation and Joint Service partnerships,...
DOD Climate Plan Expected by Labor Day
The Pentagon will release its climate change and installation resilience strategy by Sept. 1, Paul Cramer, acting assistant secretary of defense for sustainment told lawmakers recently. “The primary purpose is to integrate climate change adaptation and climate...
Andrew Hunter Nominated for Air Force Acquisitions Chief
The White House will nominate Andrew Hunter, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to become assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, it announced Friday in a statement. Hunter worked at the...
SASC Digs into NDAA this Week
The Senate Armed Services Committee marks up its version of the fiscal year 2022 defense authorization bill this week, on a schedule released by Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.). Subcommittees are working on their portions Monday and Tuesday. Most of those sessions are closed...
House Republicans Offer Standalone Bill to Reimburse Guard; DOD Could Pick Up the Tab
A group of Republican appropriators introduced legislation late last week that would reimburse the National Guard for the $521 million it spent patrolling Capitol Hill January through May, according to a press release from Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.). Pentagon leaders...
Military Hits 70% Vax Rate, Short of Shot Target
Seven in 10 service members have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, DOD announced Friday in a tweet from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “I want to thank all of the members of our DOD community who have done their part and gotten vaccinated,” Austin said...
In Our Communities
Virginia-based communications equipment provider Klas Government is opening a 42,000 square foot facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, to speed up the use of emerging military technology, Nextgov reported. “Klas saw the value of having a facility on base,...
SECDEF Says ‘Responsible’ AI Policies Relate to Recruitment, Retention
As DOD advances its artificial intelligence capabilities, it will “do it the right way,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said this week at a National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence conference, according to Breaking Defense. “Nothing is going to change...
Gillibrand Expects Military Justice Reform Bill Vote in Fall
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) expects the Senate will vote this fall on her bill to overhaul the military justice system, The Hill reported. The bill would remove sexual assault and other major crimes from the chain of command. The bill has key Republican support...
VA Pushes Deadline to Clear Appeals Backlog
The Department of Veterans Affairs will not meet a 2022 goal of clearing all legacy appeals, officials told lawmakers this week. It has made progress, going from 472,000 unresolved appeals in November 2017 to fewer than 135,000 today, according to Federal News...
SAIC’s Camarillo Nominated for Army Under Secretary
SAIC Senior Vice President Gabe Camarillo has been nominated for under secretary of the Army, the White House announced in a statement. Camarillo worked at the Pentagon in the Obama administration, including roles as assistant Air Force secretary for manpower and...
Weapons Chief Nominee Withdraws
Michael Brown, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, asked that his nomination to become the top weapons buyer be withdrawn, Defense News reported. The DOD inspector general is looking into hiring practices in Brown’s office, delaying the confirmation...