Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee, stressed the importance of comprehensive readiness of the military to address cyber threats and attacks. As part of a bigger picture of addressing hybrid warfare, Wittman said there is a need to “restore readiness” and work to bolster the United States’ ability to respond to these types of threats by training military members on this issue at all levels. “Making sure we have a military that’s situated to meet cyber threats is as important—if not more important—than their ability to combat kinetic threats,” said Wittman during a Military Reporters and Editors conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday. He added, “The bullets and bombs, we understand those threats. The cyber threats have become more and more of a challenge for us on a day-to-day basis.” Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), a retired Air Force fighter pilot, also said the need to prepare for cyber threats was crucial. However, Wittman noted that readiness was one of the primary capabilities to take a hit, with future readiness following close behind? as budgets tighten.
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.