Effective Tuesday, warfighters serving in Afghanistan and Iraq for 270 days or more are eligible for 15 days of administrative absence. The Defense Department announced the changes on Monday, saying Afghanistan and Iraq have been designated as nonchargeable rest and recuperation locations at the request of US Central Command. “This designation provides an additional benefit specifically for those service members deployed to the most arduous combat areas,” said Sam Retherford, the Pentagon’s director for officer and enlisted personnel management. These R&R days, in conjunction with government-funded transportation, allow servicemembers to retain their annual leave for reintegration with their families and communities when they return home, he said. (SAF/PA release)
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
