House Republicans are writing a military authorization that would allow President Joe Biden to strike Iran-backed proxy forces throughout the Middle East if the Israel-Hamas war escalates into a broader regional conflict. Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, told Defense News on Oct. 17 he’s drafting the bill in case Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah steps up its attacks on Israel.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula says Hamas and Iran are intentionally choosing to sacrifice Palestinians in Gaza to achieve their terrorist goals on ‘Your World.’
A week after Karen Dahut discussed digital transformation and information-technology investments at the Association of the U.S. Army convention, she was back on stage. This time, though, it was on home turf: The Google Public Sector Forum. Dahut leads Google Public Sector, launched in June 2022 to target government modernization and the tech-centric needs of national security. She previously worked as the president of Booz Allen Hamilton’s global defense business.
The U.S. Space Force is working on clearer guidelines for how it works with commercial companies—including during a potential conflict in space—and plans to have a new strategy by the end of the year. The service had to revise its original “commercial space strategy” because the draft didn’t provide enough specifics to industry, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said Oct. 19 at the Center for a New American Security.
The House of Representatives remains grasped by chaos, and even when a Speaker is elected, the appetite for Ukraine spending appears to be limited. And yet, writes retired Army general John Ferrari, Congress needs to find a way to pass a supplemental for both Ukraine and Israel—and make it a big one.
Advocates told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18 that the military still falls short when it comes to making sure troops have enough time to prepare for transition to civilian life. The 200,000 service members who leave active duty each year are required by law to start the military's Transition Readiness Program at least one year before their expected departure. But that's not happening for at least 70 percent of troops, according to the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog.
Officials in the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) will spend the next year sharply focused on enabling more integration of the maritime and space domains in their coverage while also closing gaps associated with sensors and data collection that inform their ever-growing portfolio of national security-aligned unexplainable phenomena investigations, according to the team’s latest congressionally mandated report.
U.S. Space Systems Command is accelerating its activities to compete with China in 2026, according to a top official, who referred to the year as a “real challenge.” “We believe that the real challenge is going to come in the near future,” SSC commander Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein said Oct. 18 at a Space Industry Days conference.
The Air Force says a program allowing recruits to connect online with a drill instructor before arriving at basic military training is now being used across the country and has reduced the number of dropouts as the service faces a recruiting crisis. The “Ask an MTI”—or military training instructor—program allows recruits, along with their recruiters, to connect with the airmen leading boot camp so they can ask questions about what lies ahead for them, ranging from what food is served to how they should physically prepare before shipping out, according to the service.
Not all Air Force jobs are about flying supersonic aircraft or providing technical aviation expertise on the ground. A significant number of positions in the military are associated with providing behind-the-scenes support to military operations. These support services may or may not directly apply to the mission. However, the responsibilities within the positions ensure everyday operations run smoothly.