Conger Calls DOD Climate Plan a ‘Mature’ Strategy that Builds on Past Work
DOD’s recently released Climate Change Adaptation Plan – as covered by On Base – is about more than reacting to immediate climate concerns and protecting infrastructure, according to John Conger. Conger is former principal deputy under secretary of defense...
Army Taking a Close Look at Itself and Capabilities, Wormuth Says
The Army is carefully scrutinizing every aspect of itself to ensure it is ready to fight China if needed, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Monday at the Association of the United States Army’s conference. “The future is a lot closer than some of us think,”...
In Our Communities
The Army has delivered “Dark Eagle,” the first hypersonic weapon capability, to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. “From a blank piece of paper in March 2019, we – along with our industry partners and joint services – delivered this hardware in just over two years....
HASC Member Cooper Says Space Force Moving Too Slow
A key long-time advocate for the creation of Space Force said Thursday that the new branch isn’t performing at the level he expects. “We’ve got to be tougher, faster, bolder, and I’m really not seeing that like I would like to see it,” Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), a...
Senate Passes Short-Term Debt Limit Suspension; House Vote Likely Next Week
The Senate passed a measure Thursday night that would suspend the nation’s debt limit until early December, around the same time the current stopgap spending bill is set to expire. The House is expected to consider it next week. There is still no clear path for a...
DOD’s New Climate Plan Starts with Injection of ‘Actionable Science,’ Promotes ‘Climate Literacy’
The Pentagon’s new plan to address climate change will be a team effort across the department, at installations and with other government agencies, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday, when the 32-page Climate Adaptation Plan was released. “[T]he plan first...
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
House Passes Stopgap Spending Bill, Votes to Suspend Debt Limit
The House passed a measure Tuesday night that would continue current government spending levels into early December, provide emergency aid for storm-hit communities and suspend the debt limit through December 2022. The package is not likely to pass as-is through the...
In Our Communities
More than 700 retired aircrew members returned to the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, Maine over the weekend for a reunion, the Times Record reported. It was the 10th anniversary of the base’s closure. “[Y]ou don’t recognize everyone, but once you reconnect, it’s...
DOD Still Too Vulnerable to Fraud, GAO Report Says
Despite taking some steps to identify and root out fraud and waste, the Pentagon is still at risk of being frauded by contractors, a newly released Government Accountability Office report said. DOD established a fraud reduction task force in fiscal year 2020, but last...
Kendall: Shedding Legacy Systems Necessary for U.S. to Win
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall sent a message to lawmakers Monday that the military needs to be able to move on from weapons systems of the past. “I have one request of the Congress: help us to focus on the one fight — the strategic competitive fight — we must...
House to Vote Tuesday on Stopgap Bill with Storm Aid, Debt Ceiling Suspension
House Democratic leaders plan to bring a bill to the floor Tuesday that would keep the federal government running into December. By Monday night, House leaders were planning to add federal disaster aid and a suspension of the debt ceiling through December 2022. Moving...
Officers Association Head: CSIS Recommendation to Cut Military Pay Is Outdated, ‘Wrongheaded’
A recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggesting military personnel costs are unsustainable is misleading and ignores more recent, relevant data, the Military Officers Association said. The CSIS study said Congress and DOD need to...
Defense Topline Stalemate Brings Senate Appropriations Work to a Halt
The Senate Appropriations Committee will not mark up spending bills this week as planned, Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Friday. The hold-up came after committee Republicans said they won’t support the packages planned for markup, accusing Democrats of...
Fla. Awards 17 Grants for Military Communities
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced $3.4 million in grants to installations and defense communities, WFLA-TV reported. The state announced defense infrastructure grants for: Bay County for Hurricane Michael-related repairs at Tyndall Air Force Base City of...
Capitol Police Asks for Guard Support Ahead of Right-Wing Rally
The U.S. Capitol Police has formally asked DOD for National Guard presence at the Capitol for Saturday’s planned “Justice for J6” rally, an event organized to support the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6. Pentagon Press Secretary Paul Kirby confirmed...
Rep. Brown: NDAA Amendment Would Improve Diversity, Inclusion in Military Communities
An amendment the House Armed Services Committee added to its defense authorization bill would be “a step forward to improving the critical bonds and relationships between our servicemembers, military families, their neighbors and fellow Americans,” said Rep. Anthony...
News Report: Temporary Housing Allowance Hike Coming Soon in 56 Regions
Many service members and military families hit hard by a surge in housing costs will get a temporary hike in their basic allowance for housing, according to a report published earlier this week by Military Times. The report, based on internal DOD documents reviewed by...
In Our Communities
The Navy has awarded $500 million design contract to a Honolulu company for shipyard modernization at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Puget Sound, Washington, according to a Navy press release. “To create the public shipyards that our nation needs requires investments to...
Hawley Demands Austin and Others Resign over Afghanistan; Vows to Block National Security Confirmations
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is threatening to block any DOD nominees until Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan resign in the wake of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. “They overestimated the Afghan...
Services Set Vaccine Deadlines
The Army on Tuesday became the final military service to set the deadline for service members to be fully vaccinated. Here is what the services have said: Army: Active duty soldiers must be vaccinated by Dec. 15. Army National Guard members and reservists have until...
In Our Communities
About 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard are being called on to help transport students to school amid a bus driver shortage, AP reported…. A committee among members in the Navy detachment at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri launched a “change the landscape,...
Hyten: ‘We Believe in an Apolitical Military’
Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chair Gen. John Hyten said Monday that military leaders work hard to stay out of politics, despite some critics charging that the Pentagon has tilted left under the new administration. “I can guarantee you that we believe in an apolitical...
Guard’s Role Unclear in Protecting Capitol for Saturday Protests
The U.S. Capitol Police are reinstalling temporary fencing around the Capitol building ahead of a planned right-wing protest Saturday. The protest organizers have said the “Justice for J6” rally will support those accused of breaching the Capitol Jan. 6, which they...
CSIS Study Lays Out Dire Impacts of Growing DOD Personnel Costs
DOD needs to control the runaway personnel costs for the 3 million people in its workforce to keep its other priorities on track, according to a new CSIS study. While today’s U.S. military is near its smallest size since the end of World War II in terms of active duty...
In Our Communities
A long-planned public charter school opened its doors to students Aug. 30 on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., Army Times reported. Half of the students will be from military families, and the other half will be local students selected through a...
Naming Commission Asks Public for Recommendations to Rename Confederate-Linked Sites
The commission tasked with renaming DOD facilities named after Confederate leaders is “determined to gain feedback and insight from every concerned citizen to ensure the best names are recommended,” it said on its website. “To accomplish this monumental task, we are...
Congress Rushing to Meet Growing List of Sept. Deadlines
With less than three weeks before the end of the fiscal year, Congress is in a scramble to finish a growing to-do list. The Senate returns to D.C. Monday. The full House reconvenes next week. Here are some of the items on their plate: Both chambers’ Armed Services...
8th Air Force Historical Society Hosting Kids’ Essay Contest
The 8th Air Force Historical Society is conducting a nationwide essay contest about the 8th Air Force’s service during World War II and beyond. It’s a way “to help educate our youth on such an important time in the history of our nation and the entire world,” Retired...
Corvias Foundation Gives Scholarships to 16 Military Spouses
Sixteen military spouses from installations with a Corvias presence have been awarded scholarships through the company’s foundation. “Military spouses face significantly higher unemployment rates and wage gaps due to their unique lifestyles that revolve around...
In Our Communities
Camp Atterbury, a National Guard facility in Indiana, has been added to the list of installations temporarily housing Afghan evacuees. “As Hoosiers, we are proud to do our part and provide a temporary home for Afghan evacuees who have supported this nation,” Gov. Eric...
Milley to Afghanistan War Vets: ‘Hold Your Head High’
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley said Wednesday that he has experienced the same emotions all post-9/11 veterans have felt as they’ve watched the Taliban take control of Afghanistan amid a chaotic U.S. withdrawal. “My pain and anger come from the same as...