The Defense Department is using America’s tax dollars to turn scientists into screenplay writers. The Christian Science Monitor reports that DOD hopes scientists attending a three-to-five-day screenwriting class, the Catalyst Workshop, will end up producing authentic, appealing scientific-themed films that attract young people to pursue careers in such fields as physics, biology, and forensics. The potential “brain drain” facing the department as its science and engineering workforce grays out—Pentagon data indicates up to 50 percent could retire in the next five years—has pushed the Air Force in particular to seek innovative ways to attract new talent. As CSM notes, the popularity of the TV series “CSI” and the like have increased enrollment in forensics at colleges.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.