News
Paratrooper killed by vehicle-borne IED has been identified-
The soldier killed Sept. 5 in Afghanistan has been identified by the Pentagon.
Trump calls off secret Camp David meeting with Taliban, Afghan leaders-
President Donald Trump said Sept. 7 he canceled a secret weekend meeting at Camp David with Taliban and Afghanistan leaders after a bombing in the past week in Kabul that killed 12 people, including an American soldier, and has called off peace negotiations with the insurgent group.
Defense lawmakers set aggressive schedule for NDAA-
When Congress returns to work Sept. 9, authorizers will aim for quick passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, even though a host of differences in the separate House and Senate versions of the bill have yet to be resolved formally.
Business
Esper has no ‘hard timeline’ for review of $10 billion JEDI deal-
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he has no “hard timeline” to complete his review of the disputed JEDI cloud-computing contract valued at as much as $10 billion.
Patience you must have: No timeline for massive cloud contract, says DOD chief-
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he has no “firm timeline in mind” for completing a review of the Pentagon’s controversial enterprise cloud procurement and hinted that other factors may delay the program.
Romania, Bulgaria boost defense buys amid fear of Russia-
As Russia becomes increasingly determined to project its military power over the Black Sea, Romania and Bulgaria are accelerating programs to modernize their armed forces and replace Soviet-designed gear with Western-made weapons and equipment.
Britain’s shipbuilding strategy has not gone according to plan — and industry is noticing-
Confronted with the dilemma of maintaining a naval industrial base after the completion of two 65,000-ton aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, the British government two years ago launched a national shipbuilding strategy aimed at building an efficient sector, and thus keeping skills and capacity alive.
Pentagon issues classified RFP for new missile interceptor-
The Missile Defense Agency has developed a classified draft request for proposals as it tries to rapidly restart a stalled ballistic missile interceptor program designed to knock down North Korean missiles in space.
Defense
Pentagon suspends mental health counseling referral services for DOD civilians-
The Defense Department on Sept. 1 abruptly suspended its Employee Assistance Program, which offers referrals for hundreds of thousands in the civilian workforce for health care, mental health counseling, legal matters and other support services.
C-17 crew stops at Trump’s Scottish golf resort en route to Kuwait-
A C-17 crew comprising both Air National Guard and active-duty airmen stayed at President Donald Trump’s posh Turnberry golf resort in Scotland during a trip earlier this year to deliver supplies to Kuwait, Politco reports.
Here’s how Army aviators must prepare for large-scale combat operations-
To continue current missions, adapt to brand new aircraft and prepare for large-scale combat operations, the Army is pushing its pilots in some of the toughest training challenges, both real and virtual, that they’ve ever faced.
U.S. Navy deploys new ship-killer missile to China’s backyard-
It can travel more than 100 nautical miles, passively detect an enemy through imaging stored in its computer brain and can kill a target so precisely that an operator can tell it to aim for a specific point on a ship — the engine room or the bridge, for example. And it’s heading to China’s stomping grounds.
U.S. Navy test launches sub-based Trident II D5 missiles-
The tests from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine were part of a Commander Evaluation Test to validate performance expectations of the Trident II strategic weapon system.
Experts Urge U.S. Air Force to hang on to the bombers, invest in long-range systems-
The Air Force should hold off on retiring any legacy bombers until B-21s are rolling off the assembly line in substantial numbers, and should generally invest in longer-range systems and enablers like tankers, according to the leaders of two studies that examined the force structure the Air Force will need in the next 20 years.
Veterans
Gold Star families press for relief from tax law changes-
Veterans’ families are pressing Congress to address an unintended consequence of President Trump’s signature tax law: higher tax bills for the children of deceased service members who receive certain benefits.
Army veteran never gave up trying to secure shelter for homeless veteran-
He was “hard headed” and stubborn. But he also was a generous person who would give someone in need the shirt off his own back.
Hundreds attend funeral of Navy vet with no known family-
Hundreds of strangers have honored a 97-year-old World War II veteran from Oklahoma who funeral home officials say died with no known surviving family.
Younger vets are on a mission to change the American Legion from within-
Older men sporting ball caps, and perhaps leather-patched vests, sit in a dark bar, smoke wafting about while they talk about their war days.
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