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.
Lawmakers Ask for Halt on Nice Bridge Demolition
Three Maryland lawmakers are urging the state Department of Transportation to pause plans to demolish the existing Gov. Harry Nice Memorial Bridge. They want a review conducted to determine the feasibility and cost of repurposing the old bridge for recreational use.
Budget Calls for 4.6% Pay Raise for Service Members
The White House released its fiscal 2023 budget Monday. The $733 billion spending plan calls for a 4.6% pay raise for service members, but the services would see its active-duty end strength drop. The Navy would see a decrease of about 600 personnel.
Navy Pilots Continue Russian Deterrence Missions
US Navy pilots are flying dozens of daily missions from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean region. The Truman has been in the region since December, making it the longest stretch in decades for US ships to stay in that region.
US Ramping Up Evacuation Efforts
Biden faces global pressure to extend Afghanistan evacuation efforts as Taliban warns: extending the deadline means “extending the occupation … [which] will provoke a reaction.”
Biden to the World: ‘America Is Back’
President Joe Biden, speaking to the virtual Munich Security Conference, reassured world leaders of America’s commitment to its European allies. “America is back, the transatlantic alliance is back, and we are not looking backward. We are looking forward together,” Biden said. The president also reversed several foreign policy moves by the Trump administration.
New Commandant at Naval Academy
COL James “J.P.” McDonough III will be the next commandant at the US Naval Academy. The Marine Corps artillery officer was a 1994 graduate of the academy.
Biden Transition Team Decries Lack of DoD Cooperation
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has criticized the Pentagon for the abrupt halt in meetings and information sharing. “A failure to work together can have consequences well beyond January,” a spokesman for the team said.
