The unstability in the international security environment and the continuing economic crisis in the United States is not going to go away by the end of the year, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, during AFA’s Air & Space Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 17. “As those tensions grow, we need to ensure we remain well grounded in the foundations of our Air Force,” said Donley. As troops deployed to Afghanistan battle an increasing number of insider attacks and leaders back home battle with Congress over a growing number of budget cuts, it will become “even more important to come back to basics,” he added. However, whatever challenges the service will face in the future, Donley said he is confident “airmen will see us through.”
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.