Harvard University has reversed its policy of barring on-campus access for military recruiters. The university had barred such recruiters from using office space in its law school in protest of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, aimed at banning openly gay persons from serving in the US armed forces. Harvard officials felt secure in their action because a federal appeals court late last year suspended enforcement of the Solomon Amendment, a law that enables the Pentagon to withhold federal grant funds from uncooperative schools. However, the Pentagon appealed the ruling, and the Supreme Court agreed to take the case—effectively setting aside the appellate court ruling. Faced once again with loss of federal funding, Harvard said “uncle”—at least until the Supreme Court takes up the matter in December.
The Air Force’s nascent KC-Z program, aimed at developing a next-generation family of systems for aerial refueling, will look to launch its analysis-of-alternatives study in 2024, years earlier than originally planned. Originally, the analysis of alternatives for KC-Z was set for “maybe in the 2030s,” Paul Waugh, program executive officer…