A top military health official on Oct. 8 defended the precautions taken by the Pentagon as two senior military officials tested positive for the coronavirus, saying Americans should heed the cautionary tale that anyone can contract the disease. “Absent almost total isolation, there's not a great way for us to totally prevent spread,” Defense Health Agency boss Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place said. “Despite all those best practices that we think that we know about how to try to contain this particular virus, it isn't 100 percent effective. … Our senior leaders are following the rules and are role models for those rules.” He noted an eventual COVID-19 vaccine may be mandatory for military personnel.

The 8th Fighter Wing is repurposing elements of the “agile combat employment” concept to enhance its ability to defend Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, Wing Commander Col. Chris B. Hammond told Air Force Magazine on Oct. 7. Hammond said the wing’s new approach to base security, dubbed “Weapon System Kunsan,” looks to use all on-base manpower and assets more holistically. It also wants to revamp its partnership with South Korean troops who handle security outside of the binational base’s gates.

Boeing won approval from the Space Force to move forward with its newly designed Wideband Global Satellite Communications system, setting the stage for production to begin next year. Passing the preliminary design review allows Boeing to start its final design phase on WGS-11+, which will add to the existing constellation of 10 satellites. Delivery is slated for 2024, Boeing said in an Oct. 7 release. The new system will offer “twice the operational capability of its predecessors, increasing the availability of military-grade communications” to U.S. and allied forces, Boeing said. WGS has been on orbit since 2008.

Air Force C-130s and Airmen wrapped up their firefighting season on Oct. 3 after helping extinguish a record number of blazes in California over more than two months. Since USAF's airborne firefighting units were activated July 22, specially equipped C-130s spent about 600 hours flying 518 sorties in 46 fires. The aircraft dropped more than 1.35 million gallons of fire retardant—the third-largest amount since 2007 and the most since 2013, according to 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern). Crews from California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado participated.

Air Force security forces now have a new, lighter, and more comfortable helmet. The Air Force Security Forces Center is sending out new ballistic helmets to replace the Advanced Combat Helmet, which Airmen complained were bulky and uncomfortable. The lower-profile helmet comes with better padding and a railing built in to hold equipment like night-vision goggles and communications gear, according to an Air Force release. The 71st Security Forces Squadron at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., was the first to receive the helmet, which will roll out to all units in the U.S. and overseas.

On March 23, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual Nuclear Deterrence Series event featuring Scowcroft Group Principal Frank Miller. At a time when nuclear modernization programs are accelerating around the world, proposals to recapitalize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are at the forefront of debates over defense spending. Miller will share his insights into the prospects for U.S. nuclear modernization programs and the value of nuclear deterrence in today's competitive security environment. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.