USAF Reviewing Travel Policies as Trump Resort Stays Face Scrutiny
White House Announces Barrett Nomination
Six Countries Interested in USAF’s New Combat Rescue Helicopter
Air Mobility Command Kicks Off Largest-Ever Exercise
Base Defense Beats Airborne Strike for Directed-Energy Tests
The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2019 will be formally recognized at AFA’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference Sept. 16-18. Air Force Magazine is highlighting one each workday from now until the conference begins. Today, we honor MSgt. Jahara A. Brown from Air Force Materiel Command.
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RADAR SWEEP
Defense Lawmakers Set Aggressive Schedule for NDAA
While lawmakers have been on a five-week summer recess, staff for each chamber’s armed services committees were working to resolve non-controversial issues on the massive annual defense policy measure, clearing the way for conferees to focus on more problematic policy differences when they return this week. Even with complicated work ahead and only 13 working days in September, aides in both chambers confirmed that leaders hope to draft a compromise conference report by Sept. 19, finalize signatures to the bill by Sept. 23, and set floor votes in each chamber before the end of September. Defense News
US Military Likely to Ramp Up Operations Against Taliban: US General
The US military is likely to accelerate the pace of its operations in Afghanistan to counter an increase in Taliban attacks, a senior US general said on Sept. 9 following Washington’s suspension of peace talks with the insurgents. Reuters
White House Pushes Back on Senate Language on Space Force, Missile Defense Satellites
The White House and the Pentagon are unhappy with the Senate language because it doesn’t give DoD full legal authority to establish a space service as a sixth branch of the armed forces. Space News
Peterson Air Force Base Holds Ceremony to Mark Opening of Space Command
A ceremony was held at Peterson AFB, Colo., to mark the re-establishment of the Pentagon’s US Space Command. President Donald Trump re-launched Space Command in December with the goal of improving the organization space operations across the US military and to speed up technical developments. CBS Denver
As Criticism Mounts, Boeing Looks to Keep Pace With KC-46 Deliveries
Following years of delays and high-profile snafus, the Boeing Co. is predicting the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker program will meet its key performance goals. National Defense Magazine
Pentagon’s New Electronic Health Records System Deployed to Second Wave of Bases
The second wave of military medical facilities have adopted the Pentagon’s enterprise electronic health records system, MHS GENESIS, expanding the program to four more bases in the Western United States: California’s David Grant Air Force Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base; Naval Health Clinic Lemoore at NAS Lemoore, and Army Health Clinic Presidio of Monterey, as well as the 366th Medical Group at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Nextgov
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. And while officials say there’s an agreement in place to resume the service, it’s not clear when it will start up again. Military.com
One More Thing
F-22 Demo Cockpit Hyperlapse
Take a virtual ride inside the cockpit of an F-22 Raptor during a full demonstration performance from the 2019 Fort Lauderdale Air Show in this hyperlapse video by USAF 2nd Lt. Samuel Eckholm. USAF video