The Air Force, in response to a State Department request, evacuated US government personnel from Sana’a, Yemen, on Tuesday local time as part of a reduction of the US presence there due to the heightened terrorism threat, according to a Pentagon release. Reuters reported that a C-17 brought these personnel from Sana’a to Ramstein AB, Germany. Defense Department Press Secretary George Little said, despite the partial pullout, the United States would continue to have personnel on the ground to monitor the security situation in Yemen, states DOD’s Aug. 6 release. This withdrawal comes on the heels of a temporary shutdown of 20 US embassies and consulates in the Mideast, North Africa, and South Asia due to concern over a potential terrorist strike. “We are concerned about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks against US persons or facilities overseas, especially emanating from the Arabian peninsula,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, in the release. “As such, the department is taking appropriate steps to protect our employees,” she said.
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.