Congressional Defense Panels Name New Members, Subcommittees

Feb. 4, 2021 | By Rachel S. Cohen

Congressional defense committees are moving forward on their work in 2021 with the addition of a few new faces and subcommittees.

The 117th Congress first gaveled in on Jan. 3, but without the results of two Senate runoff elections in Georgia, and later an organizing resolution to determine how an evenly divided Senate would operate, details of who would sit on and run committees remained murky for weeks.

Senate leadership has hammered out the details of an organizing resolution that dictates how the evenly divided chamber will operate, opening the door for committee chairmanships to flip to Democratic control and for members to shuffle on and off the legislative panels.

The Senate’s adoption of the so-called power-sharing agreement on Feb. 3 means Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) now holds the top gavel on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He and former chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) have shared responsibilities for running hearings to vet Biden administration nominees so far this year as they waited for the handoff atop the committee to become official.

“Guess it’s time to update my email signature,” Reed joked on Twitter.

Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Mark Kelly of Arizona are newcomers to SASC this year, filling the vacancies left by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who instead was assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee, and former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who lost election in November.

Rosen will represent the interests of Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases outside Las Vegas, spanning a major Air Force training and test hub and the Western seat of MQ-9 Reaper drone operations. Kelly, a former Navy pilot during Operation Desert Storm and a NASA astronaut, is representing F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and A-10 Warthogs at Luke and Davis-Monthan Air Force Bases. After spending 54 days in space, Kelly is also expected to offer a unique voice on military space reform and future missions for the growing Space Force.

On the Republican side, SASC is gaining Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, the former college football coach who beat Jones in his bid for a full term. The GOP is losing former Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona—a retired Air Force colonel who defended against cuts to the A-10 inventory—and David Perdue of Georgia, who advocated for the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and other local programs.

SASC hasn’t announced its updated slate of subcommittee leaders, some of whom did not return for 2021. But the full group is already moving ahead with hearings and briefings, including a private deep-dive into culture issues at the Army’s Fort Hood in Texas on Feb. 4.

“Fort Hood leadership was disengaged—from the very top down to squad level—and that resulted in the ineffective implementation of programs designed to respond to sexual harassment and assault,” Reed and Inhofe said in a release following the briefing. “We fully support the Secretary of the Army’s decision to hold 14 Fort Hood leaders accountable for these failures.”

“We are confident that the [Army’s People First] task force will take the findings and recommendations from Fort Hood and develop solutions that can work Army-wide,” they added.

The House Armed Services Committee is bringing on more than a dozen new members and splitting an existing subcommittee into two new groups. It’s also welcoming Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), one of the original architects of the Space Force, as the top-ranking Republican.

“America must engage with our allies and partners to defend ourselves from this growing threat. But that engagement must be backed by credible and modern military power,” Rogers said of China at HASC’s first planning meeting on Feb. 3.

This year, HASC is dividing its Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee into two panels. One new subcommittee will focus on cyber, innovative technologies, and information systems, chaired by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.).

“While we are proud of what has already been accomplished, we considered how a more targeted focus could help us achieve even more objectives,” Langevin and HASC chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in a joint statement Feb. 3. “As technology continues to advance at an incredibly rapid rate—from artificial intelligence to biotechnology and everything in between—it is critical that the Armed Services Committee redoubles our efforts to bridge the gap between current capabilities and future requirements.”

That group will convene hearings and draft legislation on cybersecurity, operations, and forces, science and technology policy and programs, much of the defense-wide research and development portfolio, electromagnetic spectrum and electronic warfare issues, AI, IT systems, and computer software acquisition.

The other subcommittee will handle intelligence and special operations under the watch of Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a former Marine infantryman. It plans to dig in on issues ranging from disinformation campaigns to counterterrorism, as the special operations community pivots from decades of war in the Middle East to future threats across the globe.

“We will ensure that special operations forces and the defense intelligence enterprise are postured to address those threats. It is critical that these highly sensitive areas of the committee’s jurisdiction receive the time and attention they deserve, and this new subcommittee structure will facilitate exactly that,” Smith and Gallego said in a separate release.

New HASC members include:

Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.)
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.)
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.)
Rep. Kai Kahele (D-Hawaii)
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas)
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.)
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.)
Rep. Scott Franklin (R-Fla.)
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.)
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas)
Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.)
Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah)
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas)

30 Years after Desert Storm: Feb. 5-7

Feb. 4, 2021

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.

Feb. 5

Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani offers to mediate between Iraq and the United States.
U.S. Air Force fighter-bombers attack Scud missiles and launchers.
B-52s hit Republican Guard positions.
The battleship USS Missouri knocks out two artillery emplacements and damages four others. The ship also destroys a radar site and surface-to air missile position along the Kuwaiti coast. At a news conference, President George H.W. Bush says he is skeptical that air war alone can achieve the desired result of removing Iraq from Kuwait.

Feb. 6:

Capt. Robert Swain, 706th Tactical Fighter Group (Air Force Reserve Command), shoots down Iraqi helicopter over central Kuwait in the first-ever aerial victory by an A-10.
The Royal Air Force knocks out a key bridge across the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq.
The U.S. reports that coalition aircraft have flown nearly 50,000 sorties, one-half of them combat attacks against Iraqi targets.
The U.S. lists combat casualties as 12 killed, 11 wounded, 24 missing in action (plus three missing from noncombat posts), and eight prisoners of war.
U.S. troop strength reaches 503,000, and other coalition troop strength reaches 200,000.

Feb. 7

Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Colin Powell head to the Gulf for a meeting with Gen. H. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. on the air offensive and pending ground offensive.
Some 21 House members send a letter to President George H.W. Bush, urging the President not to launch a ground war because air war is succeeding and ground war would increase coalition casualties.
U.S. officials say 109 Iraqi fighter aircraft and 23 Iraqi transport aircraft have flown to Iran.

Check out our complete chronology of the Gulf War, starting with Iraq’s July 1990 invasion of Kuwait and running through Iraq’s April 1991 acceptance of peace terms.

30 Years after Desert Storm: Feb. 4

Feb. 3, 2021

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.

Feb. 4:

The battleship USS Missouri uses 16-inch guns to pound Iraqi concrete bunkers in Kuwait, part of a plan to deceive Iraqis into expecting a Marine amphibious invasion.
U.S. Air Force fighter-bombers attack major targets at Tikrit, Iraq, Saddam’s home village 90 miles north of Baghdad.
Coalition aircraft fly 2,566 sorties, bringing to 43,566 the total for first 19 days of war.

Check out our complete chronology of the Gulf War, starting with Iraq’s July 1990 invasion of Kuwait and running through Iraq’s April 1991 acceptance of peace terms.

Air Force Association Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Feb. 3, 2021

The Air Force Association is celebrating 75 years of educating, advocating, and supporting the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

AFA was incorporated on Feb. 4, 1946, to form a grassroots network across the country to educate the public about air power and to advocate for the Air Force to become a separate military service branch. Less than 18 months later, in September 1947, the Air Force gained its independence.

Under the leadership of Gen. James Harold Doolittle, its first president, and generations of volunteer and professional leaders since, AFA became a critical advocate and supporter of air power, space power, and the means and resources needed for a ready and robust national defense.

“Over the years, AFA developed a strong foundation for supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their families; providing a voice in Washington to advocate for things like recognizing the Outstanding Airmen of the Year, or resourcing the Community College of the Air Force, as well as a place in local communities; providing awards and scholarships that build valuable ties between our military forces and the local communities that support them,” said Gerald Murray, AFA Chairman and 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. “Another of AFA’s many little-known accomplishments was its advocacy in 1964 for the creation of a ‘sergeant major of the Air Force.’ In in 1967, that initiative was formalized when Chief [Paul Wesley] Airey became the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Decades later, I followed in his footsteps.”

Today, the Air Force Association’s education and advocacy work continues. AFA produces the Air Force’s premier professional development events, the Air, Space & Cyber Conference and Aerospace Warfare Symposium, which each attract thousands of attendees and the full participation of top Air and Space Force leaders.

AFA operates the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, the nation’s only think tank dedicated to the advancement of air and space power and related concepts, and it publishes Air Force Magazine, the association’s premier publication. AFA also operates two of the world’s largest and most dynamic programs for attracting and developing student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). AFA’s CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers STEM programs use fun, team-based competitions to interest students in careers in cybertechnology and engineering. AFA’s Wounded Airman Program provides life-changing assistance to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Airmen and their families. And its COVID-19 Assistance Fund provides support to those service members and their families adversely affected by the fallout from the global pandemic.

“AFA has been the force behind the forces for the last 75 years,” said AFA President, retired Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright. “It’s the privilege of a lifetime to be able to dedicate my time and energy on behalf of Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Having already served my country, what higher calling could I have than to serve those who continue to serve us. To my friends and families who still wear the uniform, you know who we are. We’re AFA, and always on your wing.”

To learn more about AFA and our history, please visit our website or check out this timeline highlighting some of AFA’s greatest accomplishments from the January/February issue of Air Force Magazine.

Space Force Makes Its Pitch to Woo Other Troops

Feb. 3, 2021 | By Rachel S. Cohen

Active-duty Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines will soon be able to apply for jobs in the Space Force, as the new service begins to include people outside of the Department of the Air Force for the first time.

The Space Force is looking for about 30 members of the Army and Navy departments to come on board this year, before ramping up to several hundred next year, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond told reporters Feb. 3.

Military employees recently outlined the plan for transferring those troops, the majority of whom will come from land- and sea-focused backgrounds in ballistic missile defense, space surveillance, navigation, and satellite communications—missions that now largely fall under the Space Force.

“We’re going to need that joint expertise,” Brig. Gen. David N. Miller Jr., the Space Force’s deputy chief operations officer, said in an online town hall Jan. 28. “You have an advantage, coming from another service, that we need to latch onto. We value that warfighting experience that you may bring from the Army, from the Navy or the Marine Corps. We need you to stay focused on building that warfighting mentality into the space cadre.”

The application period opens in early spring, followed by a review of applicants’ performance records late that season. Those chosen to transfer will hear back early this summer, and the Space Force hopes to start welcoming troops from the Army and Navy in late summer or early fall. Officials did not provide specific dates for each part of the process.

Troops who volunteer to join the Space Force under the limited inter-service program are separate from the organizations within the Army and Navy departments that the Pentagon is planning to move into the Space Force starting in fiscal 2022, as dictated by Congress. Military officials have said for months that they are nearing a decision on those groups that will fall under the Space Force, but have not announced a final plan.

“We’re looking to bring individuals in that are not necessarily in those units or missions that are planning to join Space Force in FY-22,” said Matt Jobe, a senior policy analyst in the service’s personnel branch. “Those individuals that are in those signal battalions or satellite operations centers, those will have opportunities in ’22.”

Service members who are part of units that are moving under the Space Force won’t automatically transfer—they must volunteer to join on their own.

Air Force members, largely from Air Force Space Command, started formally becoming Guardians last year. As of this spring, the Space Force plans to have around 6,400 Active-duty uniformed members across the globe and will total around 16,000 military and civilian employees.

Space Force career experts outlined potential job paths for Guardians during the Jan. 28 presentation, pitching positions that can take service members around the world and job stability as people stay in one line of work for years at a time. Many transfers will need to go through at least some mission training once they join the service, they said.

When newcomers from the Army and Navy arrive to the space operations field, they’ll likely start in two areas: orbital warfare and space electronic warfare, said Col. Chris Putman, a career field manager in that area.

Orbital warfare entails commanding satellites and “moving the spacecraft on orbit, both to protect the missions that they perform … or to prevent the adversary from taking actions on orbit,” he said. Space EW personnel jam electronic signals to stop others from using the electromagnetic spectrum in space, and protecting those same wavelengths that U.S. assets need to communicate.

The Space Force also wants to train experts in space battle management—the people who direct on-orbit operations more broadly—and space access and sustainment, or the people who handle rocket launch ranges, testing, network management, and more. Troops can pursue careers in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber operations, and acquisition as well.

“You will see two primary career fields that we need, and that is network operations and defensive cyber operations,” said Col. Jon Smail, the Space Force’s senior cyber officer. “We won’t be doing expeditionary [communications operations], and we won’t start with offensive cyber operations, but we are planning in the future to have that capacity.”

The Space Force isn’t necessarily off-limits for troops in jobs that don’t fall in the space lane—say, an Army infantryman or a Navy drone pilot. USSF in fiscal 2022 will start considering how to bring those people in, and hopes to have a firmer plan in 2023 to open the Space Force to anyone who wants to join, according to Jobe.

Officers and enlisted members who sign up for the Space Force start the clock on a three-year service commitment, Jobe added. That’s long enough to complete fresh training, make sure people have adjusted to their new work, and set them up for future promotions.

“We want to do very deliberate development with each individual that joins Space Force,” Jobe said. “We are not looking for box-checking.”

Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines who transfer in will keep their same rank, said Rob Romer, the Space Force’s deputy for strategic human capital planning. A pending promotion that is finalized “should travel with you,” he said, though it may delay the transfer process. Retirement plans would remain the same as well.

Officials are still ironing out the details of how to move people across the Defense Department, as top Space Force leaders reiterate they don’t want to “break” the other armed forces to build their own.

“We’re trying to do what we can to smooth this process out,” Romer said. “I know that one service goes a lot faster than the other service, but we’re going to work with all of the services to be sure that we understand the timelines, and if there’s a way to … speed things up, we’re all for that.”

Austin Orders Stand Down to Address Extremism in the Ranks

Feb. 3, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Feb. 3 ordered a military-wide “stand down” over the next 60 days to have units discuss extremism in the ranks, the Pentagon announced.

The stand down, similar to the Air Force’s 2019 resiliency tactical pause to address suicide and a 2018 stand down for aviation mishaps, directs individual units to select a day to cut back on its operations to discuss the growing problem, according to a Defense Department release.

“It’s got to be a leadership issue down to the lowest levels, small unit leadership all the way up to (Austin),” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in the release. “So if you consider it a leadership issue, then maybe there will be some potential solutions there to allow us greater visibility.”

The stand down comes as senior DOD officials have said the department is struggling to grapple with the problem of extremism in its ranks. Garry Reid, the Pentagon’s director for defense intelligence, said last month in the aftermath of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that though DOD policy expressly prohibits personnel from actively advocating supremacist and extremist ideology and causes, there has been a rise in incidents.

“All military personnel, including members of the National Guard, have undergone a background investigation, are subject to continuous evaluation, and are enrolled in an insider threat program,” Reid said, referring to those activated to protect the inauguration and the nation’s capital. “Simply put, we will not tolerate extremism of any sort in DOD.”

A senior defense official said last month the FBI notifies DOD of about 200 cases per year that are being investigated, though that number encompasses all criminal investigations and doesn’t specify which are extremism related.

Supremacist groups have actively targeted troops already in service, and have tried to enlist already active members, the official said.

“We know that some groups actively attempt to recruit our personnel into their cause, or actually encourage their members to join the military for purposes of acquiring skills and experience,” the official said. “We recognize that those skills are prized by some of these groups, not only for the capability it offers them, but it also brings legitimacy in their mind to their cause—the fact that they can say they have former military personnel that aligned with their extremist and violent extremist views.”

Some of those arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and those in attendance, have included veterans, current National Guard members, and at least one Active-duty service member. Following the incident, a group of 14 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Pentagon’s Inspector General urging a deep investigation into “instances of white supremacist and violent fringe extremist activity within the military.

“Beyond the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol, it has been widely reported that white supremacists are joining the military and permeating the ranks,” the senators wrote. “Although some recruits with extremist views attempt to join the military, it is also common for this destructive ideology to take hold during military service. The spread of white supremacist ideology is dangerous for the military and threatens to rupture civil-military safeguards that our democracy requires.”

During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 19, Austin said he would immediately work to rid the military ranks of extremism.

“If confirmed, I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault, and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists, and create a climate where everyone fit and willing has the opportunity to serve this country with dignity,” he said.

Plans to Draw Down in Germany on Hold as New Administration Considers Options

Feb. 3, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Plans to significantly reduce the U.S. footprint in Germany are now on hold as the new administration reviews the decision and its impacts, the head of U.S. European Command said Feb. 3.

In July, then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and EUCOM boss Gen. Tod D. Wolters announced that DOD would remove nearly 12,000 troops from Germany, shift F-16s from Spangdahlem (the base’s only flying mission), and halt plans to move tankers and special operations forces from England to Germany, among other changes. The announcement came after former President Donald J. Trump repeatedly stated his desire to reduce the U.S. footprint in Germany.

Wolters told reporters in a teleconference that planning for the moves immediately stopped once new Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III took charge. Wolters would not say how far along the changes were in planning.

“There were so many pieces and parts to the plan, we could probably sit here for weeks and guess on the depth and how far along we were,” Wolters said. “But in all those cases, there were branches and sequels with multiple options. So, I will just tell you that the new administration has comfortably stated to us that we need to conduct a thorough review, cradle to grave, in all areas. And then after they’re allowed to conduct that review, we’ll go back to the drawing board.”

Austin has hinted at making changes to the plan. According to a Pentagon summary of a Jan. 28 call with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Austin said Germany is a “great host for U.S. forces” and “expressed his desire for a continued dialogue on U.S. force posture in Germany.”

Wolters said the DOD review will provide a “comprehensive look at all of the options, from A to Z, and [then DOD will] take a strategic and operational examination of each and every one of those impacts.”

When the move was announced, it drew immediate criticism from lawmakers, and the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act aimed to block funding for the change until the Defense Department provided details on the timeline and justification.

Wolters would not provide a guess on what the decision would ultimately be, saying the White House will “deliver us a decision. Don’t know what that will be. … I’m a smart military member, so I want to make sure that I give my senior civilian leadership the appropriate maneuvering space to make the decision that they need to make so that we can collectively go forward in the future.”

Air Force Establishes Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Feb. 3, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Department of the Air Force on Jan. 11 officially stood up its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, according to a Feb. 2 release.

The office’s job is to cultivate an “equitable environment for all Department of the Air Force personnel” by finding and fixing “policies and procedures” that might have adverse impacts on underrepresented troops, and eliminating “barriers and other practices” that might impede their careers in the Air and Space Forces, according to the release.

The release also credited “the task force and Office of Diversity and Inclusion” for playing a role in the department’s crackdown on potentially offensive heraldry and honors and new disciplinary data tracking requirements.

Acting Senior Advisor on Diversity and Inclusion Tawanda R. Rooney—who formerly served as deputy director of the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concepts Development and Management Office—is leading the office, which is being staffed by a diverse “cross-functional team” of Air Force and Space Force personnel and civilians, according to the release.

“The Department of the Air Force is committed to enabling all Airmen and Guardians to thrive in a diverse and highly inclusive environment,” Rooney said in the release. “Our office will lead this charge and continue all the good work the Task Force initiated. Diversity and inclusion are warfighting imperatives and we need to capitalize on all available talent by enabling a culture of inclusion where every member is respected and valued for his or her identity, culture, and background.”

Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services, first announced a plan to transition the Air Force’s Diversity & Inclusion Task Force—which was formed in June 2020—into a permanent “Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging” at the Air Force Association’s 2020 virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference last September.

Video: AFA on YouTube

However, the release noted, the new office was formally created in response to recommendations from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and from the Air Force Inspector General’s 150-page deep-dive into racial disparities within the department that was published in December.

EUCOM Moving Ahead with Massive ‘Defender Europe’ Exercise Despite COVID-19

Feb. 3, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. European Command is moving forward with its biggest exercise—expecting about 31,000 personnel from 26 countries—despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but officials are ready to scale back if health concerns require it.

The annual Defender Europe exercise will bring together air, land, and sea participants to operate in 12 countries from the Baltics to Africa in late spring and early summer. Last year’s exercise was originally planned to be one of the largest military training events in Europe since the end of the Cold War, but it had to be dramatically scaled down as COVID-19’s spread shut down much of the world.

“It’s an all-domain exercise, it’s going to demonstrate our ability to lift and shift large forces over large swaths of territory,” said USAF Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander of EUCOM and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe. “As we speak, planning is ongoing and we’re all very, very excited about embracing the exercise.”

The massive amount of personnel and wide range of countries expecting to participate will be complicated, as different nations have handled the pandemic in different ways and travel restrictions remain. Wolters said officials examine these issues daily.

While the goal is to keep the participant level at 31,000 “ready, willing, and able to touch all 12 separate nations,” Wolters acknowledged in a teleconference with reporters that “with each passing second we realize there may come cases where we can’t do that.”

The command has scheduled “cutoff points” in its plans, milestones where if certain metrics related to COVID-19 aren’t met the exercise can downsize or change.

“We make decision points all the way leading up to the exercise to get as much as we possibly can out of the exercise when we do ultimately start it,” Wolters said.