Army Secretary Pete Geren made no bones about the future of the Joint Cargo Aircraft program Thursday during a morning session with Washington-based defense reporters. “The last tactical mile is an Army mission; it’s not an Air Force mission, and we feel it’s important that we control the decision-making and the assets for that,” Geren emphasized. While Congress currently is wrestling with the program’s future and there’s the matter of the losing bidder protest, Geren noted that he believes the program is sound, but that there are some “fundamental issues” that need to be worked out.
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.
