A memorandum of understanding between the US and Russia on safety protocols in the air over Syria is expected to be signed and finalized soon, though the Pentagon has no specific timeline for action. Defense Department spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said Oct. 16 the agreement will come in the near future. The two countries met for the third time via teleconference on Oct. 14, where “progress was made” and the discussions “were professional,” according to a Defense Department statement. US and Russian aircraft have come within visual range multiple times over Syria, the most recent incident occurring Oct. 10 when a Russian Su-30 approached a US aircraft “to identify it,” Russian state media reported.
The National Guard Bureau is working with states to drawdown “close to 15,000” of the nearly 26,000 troops still in the nation's capital following President Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Of that total, about 10,600 were still on duty as of the evening of Jan. 21, NGB wrote in a…