US Slips Out of Bagram in the Night
The US troops slipped out of Bagram Airfield Friday night, shutting off the electricity as they left, but not telling the new Afghan commander. Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani didn’t learn of the departure until two hours later.
Pentagon Reopening Brings Back Some Staff
The first phase of the Pentagon’s reopening is bringing back some employees who had previously been ordered to stay home and opening select entrances to the building.
Marines Enter the Red Sea, Join Growing Force
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit moves into the Red Sea. The 2,500 Marines join thousands of other US forces deploying to the region amid high tensions between the US and Iran.
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.
USS Fitzgerald Is Now Back in the Water
USS Fitzgerald leaves dry dock after more than a year of repairs after a June 2017 collision with a merchant ship that killed seven sailors.
Settlement Reached in Fitzgerald Collision
Olympic Steamship Company, owner of the merchant vessel, the ACX Crystal, that collided with the USS Fitzgerald in 2017, will pay the US government nearly $27 million as part of a settlement agreement. Seven sailors drowned.
Russia Bolsters Military Base at Poland’s Border
In advance of this week’s NATO summit in Brussels and ahead of US President Trump’s planned visit with Russian President Vladmir Putin, Russia has been building up the infrastructure and bunkers at one of its military sites at the Polish border.
Senate Blocks F-35 Sale to Turkey
US Senate blocks Lockheed’s $10 billion sale of F-35s to Turkey, fearing the fighter jet’s secrets are at risk since the NATO ally’s decision to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Air Force Orders 1-Day Safety Stand Down
In the wake of a series of troubling aircraft mishaps and crashes ― several of which have been fatal ― Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein has ordered a one-day safety stand down for all flying and maintenance wings when the service conducts safety reviews.
GAO: F-35 Lessons Need to Be Shared Across Services
Supply challenges and unshared lessons learned of the F-35 could imperil the high-tech aircraft’s operational effectiveness, according to a GAO report released last week.
