Milley Sworn in as 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Thornberry Announces Retirement from the House
Boeing Gets $2.6 Billion KC-46 Lot 5 Contract
Pratt Gets $2.2 Billion Contract for F-35 Engines
McCarthy Takes Over as Army Secretary
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RADAR SWEEP
The US Military is Practicing Moving its Middle Eastern Command Base to South Carolina Because its Qatar Base is a “Sitting Duck” for Iran
Recent Iranian success at striking military and civilian infrastructure targets in the Persian Gulf region have led the American military to practice switching operational control of military operations from bases located within range of Iranian missiles to bases in the United States that are out of harm’s way. Business Insider
New Space BMC2 System to Debut at Corona: Raymond
Air Force Space Command’s new system for command and control of battlefield space assets during conflict is “on the verge” of operational capability, says Gen. Jay Raymond. The Enterprise Space Management Command and Control system is one element of AFSPC’s year-old data strategy that is “already beginning to pay benefits,” said Raymond, who commands both AFSPC and the new Space Command. Breaking Defense
Space Commander Warns Chinese Lasers Could Blind US Satellites
China is developing new directed energy weapons that could degrade American satellites during a future crisis, the leader of the newly formed US Space Command said Sept 27. The spectrum of threats to US assets makes it critical to reorganize the military’s space enterprise, Gen. Jay Raymond noted during remarks at a breakfast in Washington, D.C., hosted by AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. National Defense Magazine
OPINION: Let’s Talk About the Story of a German Radar Vendor That Claims to Have Tracked Two F-35s with Passive Radar
“To consider the test valid, it should have been conducted in real operational conditions: with the aircraft not carrying radar reflectors (that, generally speaking, do exist also as bistatic units) and, above all, not transmitting their position; in other words, as they would operate in a contested airspace,” writes David Cenciotti, founder and editor of The Aviationist. The Aviationist
Large Chunk of Border Wall Funding Diverted from Tiny Guam
President Donald Trump is raising a large chunk of the money for his border wall with Mexico by deferring several military construction projects slated for Guam, a strategic hub for US forces in the Pacific. This may disrupt plans to move Marines to Guam from Japan and to modernize munitions storage for the Air Force. Associated Press via ABC News
Civil Air Patrol to Provide IT Training to Keesler AFB Technical School Graduates
Every six months, four to six software coders will work at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell AFB, Ala., to immerse themselves in CAP’s well-established Agile DevSecOps software framework. In turn, these airmen will provide valuable, additional manpower that will help CAP satisfy increased demands on its small development team. USAF release
OPINION: In Dark Times, We All Must Be Good Wingmen
“While leadership encourages us to talk openly and not be afraid of the stigma that comes with seeking help, there is still room for improvement in our culture to engender an environment where we can feel comfortable telling our peers and leaders we are facing some mental health challenges,” writes Col. Chris “Chico” Anderson, battle watch commander at Headquarters US Strategic Command’s Global Operations Center. “This is especially true in flying organizations, where maintenance and ops personnel excel at compartmentalization and we are expected to be a ready, full-up round.” Air Force Times
Two Dead in Shooting Near Offutt Identified as Active-Duty Service Member, Spouse
Offutt Air Force Base officials have confirmed that two people died on the night of Sept. 28 in a shooting in a base community. An active-duty service member from Offutt and their spouse died, a spokesman for the Air Force base said Sept. 29. Omaha World-Herald
Afghan Protesters Claim US Strikes Kill 5 Civilians in East
An airstrike by US-led forces in eastern Afghanistan killed at least five civilians, local villagers said Sept. 29. Associated Press
One More Thing
Troops, Vets Increasingly Targeted by Russian "Troll Factories," Report Finds
The same Russian "troll factories" that sought to influence the 2016 elections have continued to target service members, veterans, and their families online with "hateful and divisive messages," according to a two-year investigative report by Vietnam Veterans of America. Military.com