Diversity Policies Not Harming Military, Gen. Brown and Gen. Berger Say
The Pentagon has been accused of “wokeism” for its policies on diversity, equity and inclusion, but military leaders say the policies are helping, Defense One reported. “When people join our military, they want to look around and see somebody who looks like them,” Air...
U.S. Will Send Tanks, Patriot Missile Systems to Ukraine Earlier than Expected
The Pentagon said Tuesday it will expedite the delivery of Abrams tanks and Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine. The department will send a refurbished older model of the tanks, which means it can get them to Ukraine by fall. “This is about getting this...
In Our Communities
President Joe Biden proclaimed Castner Range at Fort Bliss, Texas as a new national monument, as the Army said in a news story. “This action will protect the cultural, scientific and historic objects found within the monument’s boundaries, honor our veterans, service...
With SECDEF’s House Testimony Days Away, Pentagon Comes Out Against GOP’s Proposed Budget Cuts
House Republicans’ proposals to cut the federal budget could hurt military families and national security, Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord said in a letter to House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), as Defense News and other outlets reported....
In Our Communities
Fort Pickett, Virginia this week will be the first installation to formally change its name following the recommendations Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accepted from the Naming Commission, Military.com reported. The Army National Guard base will become Fort Barfoot...
Austin, Other DOD Leaders to Testify on Capitol Hill This Week
Here are some of the hearings scheduled for this week on Capitol Hill: Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.: Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on recruitment challenges, with testimony from under secretaries of the services Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.: SASC Readiness Subcommittee...
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PAST STORIES
Watch: Sierra Vista’s Former Mayor Honored as Defense Community Champion
Former Sierra Vista, Arizona mayor Frederick Mueller was honored at this week’s ADC Summit as a national Defense Community Champion. A retired Army officer, Mueller has spent the majority of his adult life in public service. Watch his video story. Navy Federal Credit...
In Our Communities
At least two Ukrainian military pilots are in Tucson, Arizona for what a defense official called a “familiarization event for U.S. and Ukrainian pilots,” Newsweek reported. They are training on an F-16 simulator…. Fort McCoy, Wisconsin had an economic impact of more...
At ADC Summit, Wormuth Offers Partnership Ideas for Defense Communities
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth on Tuesday outlined ways communities can help with some of the Army’s biggest challenges, including recruitment, child care and housing. Here are excerpts of her remarks from a mainstage conversation with ADC President Karen Holt...
Tuesday’s Summit Bites
Here are some of the other notable moments from Tuesday’s Defense Communities National Summit programs. “You can’t solve problems if the fence gets in the way,” Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation Director Patrick O’Brien said of his office’s focus...
Five Communities Named Great American Defense Communities
The Association of Defense Communities announced five communities in its 2023 class of Great American Defense Communities: The city of El Paso, Texas Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska Fort George G. Meade Region, Maryland Montgomery River Region, Alabama Greater...
Defense Cuts, BRAC Unlikely to Happen Soon, Budget Analysts Tell ADC Summit
Despite calls from a handful of members on both sides of the aisle, it is unlikely there will be large defense cuts in the next fiscal years, a panel of policy analysts said Monday at the Defense Communities National Summit. “Congress will boost the defense budget...
Holt Elected ADC President; Garrett Joins Board
Karen Holt was elected president of the Association of Defense Communities in an ADC member meeting at the Defense Communities National Summit in Arlington, Virginia. “It’s an honor to represent such a dynamic group of members committed to the success of our nation’s...
Monday’s Summit Bites
Here are some more notable moments Monday at the Defense Communities National Summit. “If we end up having a conflict, the battlefield no longer starts overseas. It starts at Fort Hood, Fort Carson, pick your installation,” said Paul Farnan, principal deputy assistant...
Budget Week(s) in D.C.: First Details to Arrive Thursday
The Biden administration is scheduled to release an outline of its fiscal year 2024 budget request Thursday, including summaries of its priorities and brief details about each agency’s spending request, as CQ reported. The administration will then send Congress the...
Communities Are Key Partners in Recruitment and Retention, Holt Writes in ‘Military Times’ Op-Ed
“New, bold ideas” are needed to help the military meet its recruitment goals, and defense communities have a role in developing those, ADC Vice President Karen Holt wrote in a Military Times op-ed published Sunday. “The path to boldness in this case might just begin...
ADC to Honor Three National Defense Community Champions
The Association of Defense Communities last week announced the selection of three individuals as national Defense Community Champions to be honored this week during the Defense Community National Summit. The champions are Lucy Greene from the Moody Air Force Base,...
In Our Communities
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio now has about 35,000 military and civilian employees, a new milestone and roughly twice the number who worked at the base about 20 years ago, Dayton Daily News reported. “Those individuals are part of our community,” Rep. Mike...
Defense Budget Reform Panel Says System Needs ‘Significant Improvement’
An independent panel reviewing the Pentagon’s budgeting process said Thursday that it is looking for “reform in the broadest sense, meaning all options are being considered to enhance our nation’s defense,” as Defense News reported. The Commission on Planning,...
News Reports: Redstone Outscored Peterson for Space Command HQ
Two news outlets in Alabama published portions of what they say is a May 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office that has not previously been made public, showing the rankings of multiple sites considered for Space Command headquarters. Redstone Arsenal,...
Snap of the Week
Air Force Staff Sgt. Samual Gulley, refuels an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to the 23rd Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia over the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 28. The 50th ARS fueled the Warthogs as they returned home from the Lead Wing exercise Operation Forward...
Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Would Offer Tax Credits to Hire Military Spouses
A bipartisan bill introduced in the House and Senate would offer tax credits to employers who hire military spouses, as Stars and Stripes reported. The bill would include military spouses in the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which incentivizes employers to hire...
House GOP Bans Earmarks from Defense Spending Bill
Republican House leaders have said that individual members can no longer request earmarks in that chamber’s defense appropriations bill under new House rules. Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) made the announcement this week, CQ reported. “Community...
In Our Communities
Maj. Gen. Konata Crumbly became the first Black commander of the Georgia Air National Guard this week, WSB reported. “I’m not the first African American qualified, but I’m the first that was given the opportunity,” Crumbly said…. Civilian families who were impacted by...
McConnell Comes Out Against Defense Cuts
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he won’t go along with a decrease in defense spending and also does not support freezing the defense budget, The Hill reported. House Republicans, who want to attach overall budget cuts to a debt limit bill...
No Signs that Ukraine Aid Is Being Misused, DOD Tells Lawmakers
The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee held its first Ukraine aid oversight hearing Tuesday, where Pentagon officials said they are confident the $113 billion in aid that has been sent to Kyiv over the past year is being used as intended. “The U.S. government...
In Our Communities
Intelligence leaders helped break ground on the Missile and Space Intelligence Center’s Advanced Analysis Complex at the Richard C. Shelby Center for Missile Intelligence at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, the Redstone Rocket reported…. The Virginia National Guard is...
DOD Cracking Down on Flag Displays at Public Events
The Pentagon has told service members that they are violating the U.S. Flag Code when carrying the U.S. flag horizontally at games and other public events. The Pentagon told its public affairs officers in a memo this month that the displays are no longer acceptable,...
Marine Corps’ 2030 Plan Includes Quality of Life Improvements and Installation Resilience
The Marine Corps last week announced planned changes to its 25 installations between now and 2030, as Marine Corps Times reported. Installations and Logistics 2030 is the latest in a series of strategic plans the branch has issued with a focus on 2030. Among the...
In Our Communities
Politico has comprehensive look at the Air Force’s stalled decision on whether to move U.S. Space Command from Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama…. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined other officials Monday at the former...
OLDCC Hosts Tuesday Webinar on DMCSP Grants
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is hosting a webinar Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern time on the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, according to an announcement, which includes instructions on how to participate. The webinar is a...