At DoD, a History-Making Confirmation
Retired US Army GEN Lloyd Austin made history Friday by becoming America’s first Black secretary of defense. In his Day One Message to the Force he said he was “proud to be back on your team.”
Timeline on Vote for New DefSec Unclear
The Senate Armed Services Committee is planning a confirmation hearing at 3 pm Jan. 19 for GEN Lloyd Austin, the Biden administration’s choice for secretary of defense. A timeline for any vote has not yet been established.
NavSec Floats Plan for New 1st Fleet in Pacific
NavSec Kenneth Braithwaite is calling for the establishment of a US 1st Fleet, a new numbered command to address maritime security in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Wind Turbines OK’d Offshore in Ocean City
Skipjack Offshore Energy received approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission for the company’s plan to erect wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City. The turbines will be more than 800 feet tall, more than 200 feet taller than the original plan. The taller turbines will mean that fewer would be installed.
First Rotary Test on Mars Is Prepped
The 4-pound helicopter, Ingenuity, travels to Mars clutching the belly of the rover Perseverance. The atmosphere of Mars was just the start of the challenges that faced Ingenuity on its way to performing the first rotary wing test flight on Mars.
SpaceX Delivers Astronauts to Space Station
Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken arrived at the International Space Station following the historic launch on Saturday. The pair of astronauts docked to the space station’s Harmony module at 10:16 a.m. Sunday as the microgravity laboratory flew 262 miles above the border northern China and Mongolia.
New NavSec Braithwaite Confirmed
The Senate confirmed Kenneth Braithwaite as the new Navy secretary, reports Politico. The NavSec post has been vacant since November when Richard Spencer was fired.
Chincoteague Pony Swim Canceled by Coronavirus
Along with so much else, the coronavirus had forced the cancelling of the 95th Chincoteague Pony Swim, for the first time since World War II.
With Peace Deal, Troops Could Be Out of Afghanistan in 14 Months
The US and the Taliban have signed a peace agreement aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan. If the Taliban meet their commitments, US troops would leave in 14 months.
Truman Strike Group Joins 6th Fleet
The US Navy said the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group entered the 6th Fleet’s area of operations. The Truman had been sidelined due to electrical glitches; it is expected to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln.
