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
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
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
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’?
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
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.
Heron Systems the Big Dog in Aerial Dogfight Competition
An AI system developed by Heron Systems in St. Mary’s County beat one of the US Air Force’s top F-16 fighter pilots in DARPA’s simulated aerial dogfight competition. “Team Heron took out the real human Air Force F-16 Pilot 5-0 without taking any damage at all! Huge accomplishment for the team! What a day!”
Task Force to Study Racism in the Navy
The US Navy has created Task Force One Navy, a group that will seek to “address the issues of racism, sexism and other destructive biases and their impact on naval readiness.”
Best, Worst States for Military Retirees
See where Maryland fares on this list of the best and worst states for military retirees.
DoD Fails 2nd Audit – No Surprise
DoD’s second-ever financial audit shows some progress, but uncovers more new problems than fixes. DoD has 3 million employees, 4,500 defense sites in 160 countries, a $292 billion inventory, more than $2.9 trillion in total assets, and $2.8 trillion in liabilities.
