The Kyrgyzstan parliament voted to close Manas AB—often used as a stopping point for troops and equipment supporting operations in Afghanistan—rather than renew the lease when it expires in 2014, reported Defense News. There are about 1,500 US troops and contractors assigned to the base. The draft measure, which still must be signed in to law by President Almazbek Atambayev, was passed almost unanimously. The future of the base has been a point of contention between the US and Kyrgyzstan government for years and Atambayev has repeatedly voiced concern that the base poses too much of a security risk.
The Space Force plans to swear-in NASA Astronaut and Air Force Col. Michael S. Hopkins while he’s aboard the International Space Station as part of the upcoming Crew-1 Mission, a service official confirmed to Air Force Magazine on Oct. 29. Hopkins is slated to command the upcoming mission, which his…