Transition of Power: Top Pentagon Positions Named by Incoming Administration
Defense News released a list of Pentagon officials that are slated to run the Department of Defense when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office. According to officials the list "pre-decisional" and "not everyone on it has been officially secured into the...
Austin Stresses Importance of Civilian Control of DoD During Senate Hearing
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin stressed the importance of civilian control of the military, addressing extremism within the ranks, and the military's posture towards the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward...
![In Our Communities [1/20/2021]](https://defensecommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/600x375_q75-1-e1611116548879-400x250.jpg)
In Our Communities [1/20/2021]
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded $750 million to multiple contractors for new construction, repair, and renovation of waterfront facilities at various government installations in the region... Naval Station Norfolk held a ribbon...
DoD Scraps Proposal to Extend Exchange Shopping Benefits to DoD Civilians
A proposal pushed forward by Department of Defense officials in October to extend exchange shopping benefits to the department's civilian workforce of over half a million employees has been suddenly dropped, Military Times reports. “DoD is not pursuing military...
Over 1 Million Tricare Beneficiaries Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
Military retiree and spouses over the age of 75 who are Tricare for Life beneficiaries are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but supply varies on location and availability, Military Times reports. Officials say that recipients should contact their local...
DoD Seeks to Expand AI Capability Across Military in 2021
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen, director of the Department of Defense's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) is hoping the services will embrace and adopt innovation across the force this upcoming year, CQ reports. “What we're trying to do is generate...
ADC wants to know how this situation is impacting your community, base and military families. Share your stories, questions and concerns to lwalcutt@defensecommunities.org.
PAST STORIES
REPI Program to Fund Living Shoreline Along Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program announced it will award $1 million to fund the planting of 2,100 linear feet of living shoreline along the Neuse River bordering the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,...
First Batch of Female Recruits to Begin Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Approximately 60 female recruits will begin training at the San Diego Marines training post in February, Military.com reports. The decision is part of a congressional mandate requiring the U.S. Marine Corps to make its entry-training coed. Previously all female Marine...
Fort Campbell Begins Construction on $53 Million Maintenance Complex
The new Army Field Support Battalion Installation Maintenance Division complex at Fort Campbell will consolidate the installation's maintenance shops in one complex, instead of spread across 28 buildings in 11 different locations on post. “This facility is greatly...
Lack of Available Housing Affects Military Families at JBLM
A recent survey conducted by the South Sound Military Community Partnership shows the housing challenges facing service members and their families at Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington State. The U.S. Army asks its service members to live within a 30-minute commute...
In Our Communities [12/14/2020]
The Okaloosa County School District, which services Eglin Air Force Base, was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity to benefit the district's STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)... DOD's...
Little Rock AFB Establishes Airmen’s Diversity Forum
The Diversity and Inclusion Airmen’s Forum recently was started at Little Rock Air Force Base to help foster a more inclusive environment at the Arkansas installation. “The Diversity and Inclusion Airmen’s Forum is an awesome initiative that gives folks the...
In Our Communities [12/11/2020]
Yakima Training Center received a 2020 Army Community Partnership Award for its mutual-aid agreement with Yakima’s fire department... The Scholarships for Military Children Program for academic year 2021 – 2022 is accepting applications from Dec. 14 to Feb. 17,...
NAS Patuxent River Extends IGSA with St. Mary’s County for Additional Two Years
An Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) signed on Dec. 8 between Naval Air Station Patuxent River and St. Mary’s County will extend an initial IGSA signed in 2018 by two years, Southern Maryland Chronicle reports. The first IGSA enabled eight completed projects...
GAO: Three DOD Grant Programs Helping Communities Fight Climate Change
In a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office survey of 63 installations, 98 percent said they rely on communities for electricity, access roads or bridges, and telecommunications. "To help protect its installations from the effects of climate change and extreme...
Warren Grove Gunnery Range Conducts State Partnership Training Program
Three groups conducted close air support training under the State Partnership Program on Dec. 1 - 5, 2020 at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range in Warren Grove, N.J., DVIDs reports. The participants were the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II Pilots from the 104th Fighter...
Military Spouse Employment Partnership Now Exceeds 500 Members
A ceremony on Wednesday inducted 85 new partners to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), a DOD program which recently increased its membership to 473 to 559 members, Military Times reports. MSEP currently has over 235,000 online job listings with...
JBLM Among Select Installations to Receive First Batch of Coronavirus Vaccine
The DOD plans to soon administer 43,875 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to CONUS and OCONUS populations of DoD uniformed service members, according to a Pentagon press release. "The Department prioritizes DOD personnel to receive the vaccine based on CDC guidance, which...
Army Punishes 14 Leaders at Fort Hood Following Vanessa Guillén Investigation
Results from an independent review directed by Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy found a widespread "toxic culture" at the Army's second-largest installation, outlets report. At least 14 Army leaders, including a general, were suspended or fired at Fort hood...
In Our Communities [12/08/2020]
The 1051st Fire Fighter Tactical Group from Camp Ripley Training Camp partnered with Central Lakes College to train from November 30 through December 4, 2020 in preparation for their deployment to Romania in 2021... A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held at Scott...
Biden Selects Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense
President-elect Joe Biden has chosen former four-star officer Lloyd Austin to serve as the Secretary of Defense in the upcoming administration, outlets report. Gen. Austin was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an...
Lincoln Military Housing Partners with Army for $71 Million Housing Improvement at JBLM
Lincoln Military Housing has partnered with the U.S. Army for a $71.2 million renovation project for on-base housing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), outlets report. The project began on Nov. 30 and will impact 429 homes in the Davis Hill Community. "We are excited...
Trump Administration to Rename Florida Space Force Installations, Military Wants to Postpone
In an upcoming ceremony this Wednesday featuring Vice President Mike Pence, the U.S. Air Force plans to rename two Florida installations involved in Space Force operations, Defense One reports. Officials say Cape Canaveral Air Force Station will be renamed Cape...
ADC Opens 2021 Board Nominations Process
The Association of Defense Communities has opened its nomination process to fill new Board of Directors positions. The nominating committee is interested in applications from both the public and private sectors. The ideal candidate should fall into one or more of the...
In Our Communities [12/7/2020]
The Army National Guard has chosen Richland (Horn Rapids), WA as the home of its newest Readiness Center. The 40-acre site is slated to open January 2022... Fort Leonard Wood upgraded its health protection condition to "Charlie" last week as a response to rising...
NDAA Highlights for Defense Communities
Congress unveiled its conference report of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week. Among the provisions of the $731.6 billion defense bill include a 3 percent military pay raise, bolstering the military's response to the pandemic, and a...
Mike Rogers Selected as the next Armed Services Ranking Member
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) was officially selected to serve as the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee in the 117th Congress. Rogers beat out Reps. Michael R. Turner of Ohio and Rob Wittman of Virginia to fill the Armed Services post, CQ reports. He...
DOD Releases Results of Spouse Satisfaction Survey with Military Life
The newly released Department of Defense Survey of Active Duty Spouses measured spouse satisfaction from 2017-2019. The survey found six in ten spouses favor their husband/wife staying in the military, significantly lower than 2012–2015; statistically unchanged since...
In Our Communities [12/4/2020]
The U.S. Air Force is appealing a federal court ruling preventing exercises against urban military training in Idaho. The judge argues that the service violated environmental laws by not adequately studying how noise from the military jets could harm humans and...
Senior Leader Spouses Partner for New Family Readiness Pilot Program
The 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley and the School for Command Preparation at Fort Leavenworth recently launched a pilot program to better prepare spouses of newly selected officers and other leadership positions. The program consisted of a week-long course of...
City of Rock Island to Sign Agreement to Provide Water, Lighting Services to Rock Island Arsenal
Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms and Rock Island Arsenal Garrison Commander Colonel Todd Allison are signing a 10-year intergovernmental agreement for the city to provide water services, wastewater collection maintenance and exterior lighting, traffic and streetlight...