May 30, 2023

2 Super Hornets, 2 Mishaps in 2 Days

Mishaps

Two US Navy Super Hornets suffered mishaps on consecutive days in November at NAS Oceana, VA.

Navy Football Uniforms Honor NASA

Navy Football

For the Dec. 10, 2022, Army-Navy football game, the Midshipmen will be dressed from head-to-toe in NASA-themed gear that pays homage to the academy’s astronaut alums.

Lawmakers Ask for Halt on Nice Bridge Demolition

Nice Bridge

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.

US Space Force Needs a National Guard

Space Force

A bill introduced in the US Senate would create a Space National Guard. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said that not establishing a Space National Guard was a mistake when the US Space Force was formed.

Funding Bill Passes, Avoids Shutdown, Includes More Aid to Ukraine

The US Senate passed a $1.5 trillion package late last week that funds the federal government through September and delivers $14 billion to help Ukraine. For 2022, the bill provides $728.5 billion in discretionary defense spending, an increase of $32.5 billion above 2021.

Space Is Being Littered With Orbital Debris

satellite - artist impression

DeAnna Burt, vice commander of Space Force Space Operations Command, says there needs to be a way to clean up “space junk.” Speaking at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, she said, “We need to pick up debris — we need trash trucks. We need things to go make debris go away.” NASA says that more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris are being tracked by DoD.

Navy Undersecretary Geurts to Retire

Geurts

James “Hondo” Geurts, who has been acting as the undersecretary of the Navy since February, announced he will retire from government service later this month.

CNO Confident Navy Gets Bigger Budget Portion

CNO

While competition for defense funds is high among the services, Chief of Naval Operations ADM Mike Gilday is confident the Navy Department has a “sound case” for getting a bigger piece of the defense budget.

How About ‘Zoom-Free Fridays’?

Zoom

Citigroup has declared “Zoom-Free Fridays,” an effort to combat employee fatigue triggered by remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I know from your feedback and my own experience, the blurring of lines between home and work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our well-being,” the company CEO wrote in a memo to employees.

Turkey Lobbies for Return to F-35 JSF Program

F-35

The Turkish government has hired a Washington, DC, law firm to lobby its case to be readmitted to the US F-35 JSF program. Turkey was booted from the program in 2019 after purchasing air missile defense systems from Russia.