March 28, 2024

Could Roosevelt CO Be Reinstated?

Roosevelt Crozier

DefSec Mark Esper left the door open for reinstating Capt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who was relieved of duty after he urged the Navy to step up its response to a coronavirus outbreak on the aircraft carrier.

Face Coverings Now Required on All DoD Property

Face Coverings

DefSec Mark Esper: All people on DoD property, installations, and facilities must wear cloth face coverings.

Amid Pilot Shortage, Marine Corps Assessing F-35 Fleet

A shortage of pilots has the Marine Corps assessing the F-35’s place in its fleet. “Our continued inability to build and sustain an adequate inventory of F-35 pilots leads me to conclude that we must be pragmatic regarding our ability to support” the program,” Gen. David Berger said.

Navy Wants to Scrap 4 Littoral Combat Ships

Littoral Combat Ships

The US Navy wants to scrap four of its Littoral Combat Ships which it says are already so outdated they can’t be even be used for training anymore.

MD Sites on List of Locations Where Agent Orange Was Stored, Tested

Agent Orange

A new list released by the Defense Department shows locations outside Vietnam where herbicides like Agent Orange were tested and stored. Five sites in Maryland were on the list.

Shooting Sparks Call for Concealed Guns on Bases

Shooting

Some Navy pilots want to be able to carry arms on military installations. The request comes in the wake of the deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida by a Saudi Arabian aviator training there.

Richard Spencer Out as Navy Secretary

NavSec Richard Spencer has been ousted from his post after his handling of the case of Navy SEAL Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, who was accused of war crimes. DefSec Mark Esper asked for Mr. Spencer’s resignation late Sunday.

DoD Fails 2nd Audit – No Surprise

DoD Fails Audit

DoD’s second-ever financial audit shows some progress, but uncovers more new problems than fixes. DoD has 3 million employees, 4,500 defense sites in 160 countries, a $292 billion inventory, more than $2.9 trillion in total assets, and $2.8 trillion in liabilities.

Focus Growing in Middle East on UAVs

Focus Growing in Middle East for UAVs

There is a strong focus on imports for unmanned aerial vehicles in the Middle East. Nations there are looking at a mix of US, Russian, and Chinese suppliers of UAVs.

DefSec Warns US Allies: Be Wary of China

China

A warning from DefSec Mark Esper to US European allies: Be wary of China. It is beleived that Beijing seeks greater global influence by leveraging economic power and stealing technology.