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The U.S. Navy’s warship production is in its worst state in 25 years. What’s behind it?
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Approved, Military.com, National

The U.S. Navy’s warship production is in its worst state in 25 years. What’s behind it?

By David Sharp | Associated Press, via Military.com The Navy’s ability to build lower-cost warships that can shoot down Houthi rebel missiles in the Red Sea depends in part on a 25-year-old laborer who previously made parts for garbage trucks. Lucas Andreini, a welder at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, in Marinette, Wisconsin, is among thousands of young workers who’ve received employer-sponsored training nationwide as shipyards struggle to hire and retain employees. The labor shortage is one of myriad challenges that have led to backlogs in ship production and maintenance at a time when the Navy faces expanding global threats. Combined with shifting defense priorities, last-minute design changes and cost overruns, it has put the U.S. behind China in the number of ships at its dispo...
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Pilot errors blamed for Osprey crash that killed Colorado Marine, 2 others
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Approved, kdvr.com, National

Pilot errors blamed for Osprey crash that killed Colorado Marine, 2 others

By TARA COPP | Associated Press, via Fox 31 News An Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines, including one from Colorado, was caused by multiple pilot errors during a near mid-air collision, a military investigation has found. It also found that squadron leadership had permitted “a culture that disregarded safety of flight.” Two Marines pilots were killed by the Aug. 27 crash: Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37, who was born and raised in Conifer, Colorado. A third Marine, crew chief Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, was killed as he “heroically re-entered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots,” the investigators said in a report released late Friday. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Military could go all in on hybrid, EVs for combat vehicles, other uses
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Approved, Military.com, National

Military could go all in on hybrid, EVs for combat vehicles, other uses

By Scott Murdock | Military.com Have you heard who's in the market for a new electric vehicle? No, I'm not talking about the public radio devotee or bleeding-edge tech-bro -- I'm talking about the U.S. military. If you're like me, this news conjures up visions of tanks, armored vehicles and futuristic gadgets fit for a science-fiction thriller. The reality (for now) isn't quite that exciting. Still, technological advancement waits for no one, least of all those who need every possible edge to survive and win in combat. U.S. government agencies have been very vocal about using alternative energy sources to protect the environment, but the Defense Department has a more specific view of electric vehicles in particular. READ THE FULL STORY AT MILITARY.COM
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As agreement with Russia nears expiration, Air Force says restoring nukes on some B-52s would cost $4.5M
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

As agreement with Russia nears expiration, Air Force says restoring nukes on some B-52s would cost $4.5M

By Courtney Albon | Air Force Times The Air Force estimates it would cost about $4.5 million to restore nuclear weapon capabilities on approximately 30 B-52 bombers, a calculation that follows proposals from Congress to assess shoring up the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal in the coming years. The House and Senate armed services committees included the recommendation in their respective defense policy bills for fiscal 2025. The bombers in question had previously been equipped with the ability to carry nuclear weapons but were converted to conventional aircraft about 10 years ago to comply with a key U.S.-Russia arms control treaty known as New START. That agreement, which sets limits on both countries’ nuclear arms capabilities, is set to expire in 2026. Proponents of the recommendat...
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Congressional panel finds America’s chances of fighting a war high, preparedness low
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

Congressional panel finds America’s chances of fighting a war high, preparedness low

By Noah Robertson | Air Force Times America’s odds of fighting a major war are the highest in 80 years, and its military isn’t prepared for one. This was the finding of a bipartisan panel tasked by Congress to review U.S. defense strategy. Its nearly 100-page report reveals a crisis of confidence in American national security. The commission chides a Pentagon it considers too plodding, a Congress it considers too partisan and multiple administrations it says have been too complacent to address threats from China, Russia and countries in the Middle East. READ THE FULL STORY AT AIR FORCE TIMES
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Pentagon to review 20 Medals of Honor awarded in Wounded Knee massacre
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

Pentagon to review 20 Medals of Honor awarded in Wounded Knee massacre

By Nikki Wentling | Air Force Times Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the Pentagon to review the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. troops for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890, when soldiers killed and injured between 350 and 375 Lakota men, women and children. Austin ordered the creation of a special panel to determine whether to retain or rescind the medals, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. In a July 19 memorandum ordering the review, Austin said the panel would investigate “each awardee’s individual actions” and also “consider the context of the overall engagement.” “It’s never too late to do what’s right,” an unnamed senior defense official said in a statement Wednesday. “And that’s what is intended by the review that the secretary direc...
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Air Force Academy: Dorm remodel could cost almost $600 million
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Approved, Military.com, State

Air Force Academy: Dorm remodel could cost almost $600 million

By Mary Shinn | Military.com (via Colorado Springs Gazette) The Air Force Academy estimates over time that one of its two dormitories will need almost $600 million to remodel. Sijan Hall, built in 1968, is expected to need a major remodel to upgrade its heating, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems. It also needs work to renovate window walls, bathrooms, cadet rooms and workspaces, an academy spokesman said. It's a six-story building with 625,000 square feet housing 891 dorm rooms. The academy expects the work on the building could take place over five phases and cost $597 million, a written statement said. READ THE FULL STORY AT MILITARY.COM
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‘Economic hardship’ bonus of only $20 per month? That’s what military troops are getting
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Approved, National, The Daily Caller

‘Economic hardship’ bonus of only $20 per month? That’s what military troops are getting

By JAKE SMITH | The Daily Caller The Biden administration’s Pentagon will start giving U.S. troops “economic hardship bonuses,” but the payout is unlikely to make any substantial difference in their salaries, according to Military.com. Troops in the E1 through E3 rank — considered junior enlisted troops — will receive an additional $20 per month as a result of the new bonus, a senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Military.com on Friday. Junior enlisted troops have been among those hit the hardest in the military by financial hardships in recent years, with low pay compared to the private sector and high inflation and cost rates.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DAILY CALLER
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Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets

By Jonathan Lehrfeld | Air Force Times Parents of young officers in training and incoming recruits who died in connection with military activities want Congress to approve death benefits that others in the armed forces already receive. “It’s just been an absolute nightmare. There’s no aspect of our lives that are the same,” said Jessica Swan. Swan’s daughter, Mackenzie Wilson, 19, a student at Oregon State University and an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, died in a vehicle accident in June 2022, while at an Air Force base in Idaho for a development program. Family members of active duty troops can collect financial compensation from the military after a service member dies. But Swan received nothing after her child’s death. Loved ones of those in ...
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U.S. to expand control of land sales to foreigners near military sites
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

U.S. to expand control of land sales to foreigners near military sites

By Fatima Hussein | The Associated Press (via Air Force Times) The U.S. wants to expand a Treasury committee’s jurisdiction to review land sales near U.S. military sites where foreigners are the buyers. New Treasury rulemaking would expand the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ powers to review land sales near 56 additional military sites, bringing the overall number to 227 military sites. Additional sites include Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in California, Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, and Fort Novosel in Alabama, along with other locations, according to the proposed rule. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE AIR FORCE TIMES
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