Air Force Mulls Further Help For Airmen as Suicides Continue
USAFE Eyeing NATO-Russia Hotline to Deconflict Air Tensions
Bunch: Bigger Testing, Training Spaces Needed for Hypersonic Weapons
USAF Clears Some Pregnant Airmen for Flight Duties Without Waivers
Certain female airmen no longer need medical waivers to carry out flight duties while pregnant, according to a Sept. 23 Air Force release. Instead, they can consult with their health care providers and decide on their own whether to fly. Read the full story by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory.
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RADAR SWEEP
Army Vaguely Warns of “Potential Mass Shooting” at Premiere of New “Joker” Film
Soldiers and families at Fort Sill and installations around the country are being made aware of a credible mass shooting threat targeting "an unknown movie theater" on October 4, an Army official told Task & Purpose on Sept. 19. A memo from Fort Sill posted on Facebook says that there has been "disturbing and very specific chatter in the dark web" regarding targeting a theater during the release of the new Joker film next week. Task & Purpose
OPINION: Hands Off, Budgeteers! DOD Must Fund Our Small Bomber Fleet
“If an aircraft like the B-1 was taxed so hard due to high demand, the appropriate lesson is that the nation needs more bombers, not less,” write retired USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, and Douglas Birkey, the institute’s executive director. Breaking Defense
Unsafe Intercepts Involving NATO Aircraft Have Decreased, and Often are the Result of a “Hot-Dogging” Pilot, Top General Says
While alarming, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of US European Command, USAF Gen. Tod Wolters said unsafe intercepts between NATO and Russian aircraft have decreased over the past two years, and are in most cases safe. Military Times
Pentagon to Investigate Air Force Over KC-46A Refueling Arm
The Pentagon will investigate the Air Force’s handling of the development of a remotely operated boom on its newest refueling tanker, which has been plagued by a host of problems. The Defense Department’s Inspector General is expected to begin evaluating “whether the Air Force adhered to DOD and Air Force systems engineering processes” during the design and development of the refueling boom on the new Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, the IG’s office said in a statement last week. Stars and Stripes (subscription required)
The Space Development Agency’s Plans Have Changed. Here Are the Revisions.
“There’s a lot of small changes,” Derek Tournear, the agency’s director, told reporters Sept. 18 during AFA’s 2019 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. “The biggest overall change is the ability to operate in a slightly higher LEO [low-Earth orbit] environment.” Defense News
Pentagon’s Non-Lethal Weapons Office Pushing Gray-Zone Warfare Tools
The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate is hoping to reframe the talk about non-lethal weapons amid a push by the Defense Department to boost lethality for high-end warfare. USNI News
F.E. Warren Security Forces Commander Relieved Following Investigation
The Air Force has removed the commander of the 90th Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., over a loss of confidence in his ability to maintain a healthy work environment. Officials with Air Force Global Strike Command’s 90th Missile Wing announced Sept. 23 that Col. Damian Schlussel, commander of the 90th Security Forces Group, relieved Lt. Col. Nicholas Petren, head of the 90th SFS, "due to a loss of confidence" in his leadership. Military.com
Trump Attacks Globalism and Urges Action on Iran at UN
President Donald Trump stood before world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24 and rejected “globalism” and liberal immigration policies while exhorting the world to act against Iran’s “bloodlust.” Associated Press
How VA Implements Predictive Analytics to Help Prevent Veteran Suicides
The Veterans Affairs Department has put technology to use in recent years to promote suicide prevention efforts and curb the higher rates of self-harm that veterans face compared to their civilian counterparts. In recognition of September as suicide prevention month, an agency insider detailed how VA is leveraging predictive analytics and other evolving technologies through its REACH VET program to help health care providers identify those most at risk already in the department’s system before it’s too late. Nextgov
One More Thing
This Hero Airman Saved a Child’s Life on the Way to Pick Up an Award for Doing a Bunch of Other Heroic Things
USAF TSgt. Kenneth O’Brien was named one of the 2019 Outstanding Airmen of the Year after serving as a member of the president’s security detail during one of the historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saving a civilian from a burning vehicle in Korea, helping rescue a group of Thai soccer players trapped in a cave, and saving the life of a Thai Navy SEAL. On his flight to the US, he stepped up when a child lost consciousness due to an airway blockage, saving the child’s life. Business Insider