Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen on Tuesday issued the 2011 National Military Strategy, the document that provides strategic direction for the US armed forces. “While we continue to refine how we counter violent extremism and deter aggression, this strategy also rightfully emphasizes that our military power is most effective when employed in concert with other elements of power,” wrote Mullen in introducing the document, the first NMS revision since 2004. He added, “This strategy also acknowledges that while tough near-term choices must be made during this era of broader economic constraints, we will continue to invest in our people and our families.” The new NMS builds on the 2010 National Security Strategy and the objectives articulated in the most recent Quadrennial Defense Review. (DOD release) (2011 NMS document) (See also AFPS report by Jim Garamone)
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…