Several Fall Ill After Suspicious Package Opened at Andrews

The Air National Guard Readiness Center (ANGRC) at Joint Base Andrews, MD.

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Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, MD, received a “suspicious package” Thursday prompting two buildings to be evacuated after several people became ill, reports The Hill. Multiple people were taken to the Malcolm Grove Medical Center on base after the package was opened. “Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and have turned the scene over to Office of Special Investigations,” reads an Air Force statement. “An investigation is currently ongoing.” The room where the envelope was opened – located in a building that houses the Air National Guard Readiness Center – remains closed, reports CNN on MSN.

The federal government shutdown had prompted the cancellation of some Veterans Day events, reports Navy Times. Well-known events such as the annual observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the New York Veterans Day Parade will be held as scheduled.

The public is invited to salute America’s veterans at the 2025 Veterans Day Parade in Leonardtown. The parade begins at 10am Tuesday, Nov. 11, reports The BayNet.

A National Security Space Association report says that the Pentagon should establish a dedicated budget to support its Golden Dome missile defense system’s positioning, navigation, and timing needs and assign a PNT lead to coordinate needed improvements to navigation systems. “Urgent investments in a national, resilient PNT architecture with at least two or three sources that have markedly different failure modes are needed to address and mitigate known vulnerabilities of GPS and other systems, while bolstering the effectiveness of Golden Dome, according to the report.

Several Republican senators criticized the DoD policy office for not informing the Senate Armed Services Committee about major decisions, including the withdrawal of some US troops from Romania and halting some assistance to Ukraine, reports The Hill. This frustration among lawmakers, including Democrats, marks the latest example of tensions between Capitol Hill and DoD during Trump’s second term.

DefSec Pete Hegseth announced on X that the US had conducted another strike Thursday in the Caribbean on a boat alleged to be carrying drugs. Three men aboard the vessel were killed. As of Nov. 6, the Trump administration has disclosed 17 strikes, killing at least 69 people, reports Air Force Times.

SecState Marco Rubio and Hegseth met with a group of congressional members behind closed doors last week following President Donald Trump’s orders for the US military strikes against alleged drug boats that are raising the specter of a new war, reports NPR. A growing group of lawmakers, both Democrats and Republican, are demanding more information on the attacks.

Senate Republicans voted to reject legislation last week that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela, reports The Associated Press. Thursday’s vote, on the legislation that would forestall an attack on Venezuelan soil without congressional authorization, suggested Republicans are willing to give Trump leeway to continue his buildup of naval forces in the region.

Four defense contractors signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week saying they would work together to design a combat system that could be used on the future SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine, reports Breaking Defense. BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems, and Thales said they would design a tri-national command system which builds on General Dynamics’ existing AN/BYG-1 system currently used by the US. The MOU was signed last week at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Expo in Sydney, Australia.

Lockheed Martin Australia made a pitch at the Indo Pacific expo last week to sustain future Australian Virginia-class submarines, reports Breaking Defense. The company hopes to win the job of sustaining the submarines when the boats enter service as part of the trilateral AUKUS agreement. Lockheed officials said the company was a natural choice because of its local skilled workers and its ability to use the resources of its US parent.

Lockheed Martin announced it will invest $50 million in Saildrone to advance unmanned surface vehicles capabilities for the US Navy, reports Inside Defense. Lockheed will integrate weapon systems onto Saildrone USVs to support Navy missions including fleet defense and attack.

SpaceX is reportedly set to receive a $2 billion contract from the Department of Defense for a satellite constellation effort tied to the Trump administration’s Golden Dome next-generation missile defense shield project, reports The Wall Street Journal on MSN. The funding was included in a bill signed in July but wasn’t publicly linked to a contractor.

The Dubai Airshow 2025 will run next week from Nov. 17-21. Visitors will have the opportunity to see some of the latest technology emerging in commercial and defense aerospace technology. Simply Flying puts the spotlight on a few of the most anticipated airplanes making an appearance at this year’s show.

Researchers at the University of Maryland Robotics Center, UAS Research and Operations Center, and the School of Medicine are turning robot dogs into first responders that will help medics treat victims more efficiently, reports Capital News Service. Spot the Dog interacts with victims and feeds the data collected to medics. View the less than 2 minutes video demonstrating Spot the Dog, who will be deployed to situations with casualties.

The UM RoboScout team participated in the second year of a three-year Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency grant program called the DARPA Triage Challenge demonstrating the robot dog, reports govtech.com. The simulations took place last month in Georgia, and the team demonstrated the robot on Oct. 16 at UMD’s Maryland Robotics Center.

A new poll from the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County finds that nearly all Marylanders responding to the poll said they are aware of artificial intelligence — and they have concerns, reports Maryland Matters. The Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence poll found that 54% of those surveyed said they had heard or read “a lot” about AI. Another 32% said they knew “some” and 11% “just a little.”

Poland and Romania are deploying the new American Merops weapons system to defend against Russian drones, reports The Hill. There have been several incursions into NATO airspace in recent months that exposed the alliance’s vulnerabilities. The system can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.

Job cuts in October were the highest since 2003, according to an analysis Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an executive outplacement firm, reports The Hill. Employers’ job cuts totaled 153,074 for October 2025, marking a 174% increase from this time last year. The private sector added 42,000 jobs in October, according to the payroll management company ADP.

Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe will be the 21st chief master sergeant of the Air Force, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine. Wolfe has been a trusted adviser to new AF Chief of Staff GEN Kenneth Wilsbach, having served as his enlisted adviser during his last two command tours at Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces.

The US Air Force has adopted new, more specific grooming standards, reports Air Force Times. An Oct. 29 memorandum outlines how, if worn, sideburns should be straight and not flared, with an even width above the ear opening and ending in a clean-shaven horizontal line. Mustaches must be neatly trimmed and match the natural hair color of the airmen’s head. Other styles of mustaches, like handlebar, twists, curls, or goatees, are prohibited.

Canyon Anthony Amarys, 28, a member of the Kansas National Guard, has been accused of attempting to send a military radio to Russia, reports Army Times. He is also accused of taking photographs at Fort Riley in Kansas, an installation that he understood contained sensitive military technology. He pleaded not guilty to the charges late last month.

Contacts awards are not being published during the government shutdown.