Trump: US Seeks Peace; Holds Big Weapons
After Iran retaliates the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani with missile strikes on US troops in Iraq, Trump called for peace but threatened “big, powerful, accurate, lethal and fast” US missiles if US citizens are harmed. No US or Iraqi troops were harmed in the Iranian attacks, Trump said.
Budget Haggling Threatens Defense
Congressional budget delays give our enemies the advantage, according to the secretary of the Army, budget haggling allows enemies a leap-ahead advantage.
Esper is Sworn in as DefSec
Mark Esper is sworn in as US Secretary of Defense during an Oval Office ceremony. Esper supports former DefSec Jim Mattis’ National Defense Strategy to maintain preparedness for conflict with capable adversaries like Russia and China.
Trump Says He Can Strike Iran Without Congress OK
President Trump says he does not need congressional approval to initiate military action in Iran. “I do like keeping them abreast, but I don’t have to do it legally.”
Crashed Japanese F-35 Reported Located
Although it was announced Monday that the Japanese-built F-35 that crashed into the Pacific last month had been found, the US Air Force continues to deny that it has been located.
Navy’s Aviation Accidents Keep Rising
Manned aviation accident deaths across the services continue to break records, but the steady six-year climb finally halted this year. Only the Navy did not improve in the total accident categories from 2017 to 2018 and is still 83 percent higher than in 2013.
VA Health Care Could Merge with DoD’s
Parts of the VA health care system are being considered for merging into the DoD health care system, potentially impacting 19 million military personnel, retirees, dependents, and vets.
Shutdown Pain Keeps Growing
A quarter of the federal government has been partially closed for more than two weeks. Check out the growing list of shutdown-affected agencies here and on the Eastern Shore.
Military Supply-Chain Faces 300 Weak Links
The Pentagon says a third of the 300 gaps and vulnerabilities in the military supply-chain discovered by an assessment of the defense-industrial base, ordered by President Donald Trump could be addressed in a year.
Turkey’s F-35 Purchase Blocked by NDAA
The $716B defense authorization bill was signed earlier in the year than any NDAA for the past 40 years and also included a stall in the F-35 sale to Turkey and provided President Trump an opportunity to tout his Space Force.
