Reps. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Sam Johnson (R-Tex.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.), Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), and David Wu (D-Ore.) all got a good look at the Force Protection Aerial Surveillance System during a recent visit to Balad AB, Iraq. Members of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron demonstrated how the force protection tool provides security by combining UAV technology with traditional force protection activities. “Desert Hawk,” as the program is known, was developed by Air Force Materiel Command in 2004 for deployment to Southwest Asia, as part of urgently needed force protection capabilities.
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness revised the Defense Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. The new rules clarify what’s meant by being “up to date” on vaccinations and when personnel must wear masks in vehicles, among other changes.