Marine Corp
s Commandant Gen. James Conway told defense reporters in Washington yesterday that his “fervent desire” is to get the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft deployed to Iraq for the war on terror as soon as possible. “I’ve been in the aircraft three times—it’s a marvelous aircraft,” he said, adding, “It’s going to revolutionize helicopter flight, and the expansions beyond that. I think it’s going to prove itself rapidly.” However, Conway said the Corps is “not ready to make that public statement” about when the V-22 can be expected to join the fight.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.