Lawmakers to Scrutinize Hegseth Strike-to-Kill Order
Republican-led committees in the US Senate and House want a full accounting from the Pentagon after a report revealed that DefSec Pete Hegseth gave an order to kill two survivors on an alleged drug boat that had been struck by a US missile.
St. Mary’s: ‘Hotbed’ of Aviation Development
Aerospace companies that want to get their operations off the ground should consider Maryland, which is home to more than 9,000 such companies. A recent investment profile points out that St. Mary’s County is “a hotbed of military and civil aviation development” with NAVAIR at Pax River and other facilities in the region.
US Wants Drones as Dispensable as Bullets
Uncrewed aerial systems less than 55 pounds are now to be treated as “consumables,” more akin to hand grenades and other kinds of ammunition than aircraft. Lower-level commanders will now also be able to procure smaller UASs directly, as well as authorize subordinates to operate them.
Navy Recruiting Rebounds ‘Significantly’
US Navy VADM Rick Cheeseman said the service’s recruiting numbers have rebounded “significantly,” but they still fall short of the boot camp goal, which was to sign up 40,600 recruits by the end of the month. The Navy will be about 5,000 sailors short of the target to get all recruits into the 10-week training course by the end of the fiscal year.
Army Corps Leads Effort on Bridge Cleanup
The US Army Corps of Engineers is deploying more than 1,100 personnel to Baltimore, following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge into the Patapsco River on Tuesday. Naval Sea Systems Command is contracting out a variety of vessels to the harbor to help with clearing and reopening of the channel after a tanker struck the bridge.
Among Budget Cuts $15M From MD 5 Project
Among the $3.3 billion major expansion project reductions to Maryland’s capital budget is $15 million from the Route 5 Great Mills project,
Uptick in Attacks on US Troops in Middle East
As the US continues to move its assets around the Middle East to support Israel in its war against Hamas, the number of attacks on US troops nearby has increased.
Navy, Army, Corps All Without Chiefs
With the retirement of ADM Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, the US Navy becomes the third services branch — along with the Marine Corps and Army — to be operating without a Senate-confirmed chief.
Birckhead New MD Adjutant General
MAJ GEN Janeen Birckhead has assumed her new role as the Maryland National Guard adjutant general. Birckhead succeeds outgoing MAJ GEN Timothy Gowen, who assumed command in 2019.
US Tech Job Cuts Continuing Into 2023
Job cuts in the US tech sector seen last year are spilling into 2023, with companies such as Google and Microsoft announcing recently the elimination of thousands of positions. Looking for a new job? The US Office of Personnel Management is expanding efforts to attract tech talent to the federal workforce amid continuing layoffs at US companies.
