April 27, 2025

5,400 Job Cuts to Hit Pentagon This Week

Pentagon

About 5,400 Defense Department employees will lose their jobs this week. The cuts are the first in what is expected to be a 5% to 8% reduction of the civilian workforce. The department employed 764,000 civilians as of June 2024, which means more than 61,000 people could lose their jobs. The White House also wants an 8% cut to the DoD budget.

Fort Liberty Name Out. Fort Bragg Is Back

Fort Bragg

The Pentagon will change the name of Fort Liberty in North Carolina back to Fort Bragg. The Army base was originally named for Confederate GEN Braxton Bragg; the order lists another Bragg as its new namesake – PVT Roland L. Bragg of Maine, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

Lusby Native Stationed on USS Truman

Lusby

Lusby resident Damion Davis is stationed aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The Truman recently returned to Naval Station Norfolk, marking the end of a nine-month deployment after operating in the US 6th Fleet area of operations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine ‘Fantastic Case Study’ in Information Warfare, Says General

cyber offensive

US Marine Corps commandant GEN David Berger said the past four months of war in Ukraine has been a “fantastic case study” in information warfare. “If you can manage information, you can actually gain an advantage,” he said.

Navy Pilots Continue Russian Deterrence Missions

Pilots

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.

Navy Football Uniforms Pay Homage to Super Hornet

Naval aviation is the inspiration for this year’s US Naval Academy’s uniforms for the December 11 Army/Navy football game. Navy went with a F/A 18 Super Hornet-themed uniform.

DoD Eyes Reduced Spending on Carriers

Carrier

The Pentagon is considering a reduction in its aircraft carrier force structure as part of the upcoming fiscal 2022 budget submission to Congress.

McConnell “OK” Renaming Military Bases

McConnell

GOP legislators remain divided on the renaming of bases named after Confederate Army officers, but the top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has signaled he is “OK” with the renaming.

FEMA Calls for Face Shields; Lab at Pax River Responds

Face Shields

Demand for medical face shields has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 public health threat. And 3-D printers are stepping up to make the devices.

Truman Strike Group Joins 6th Fleet

Truman Strike Group

The US Navy said the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its strike group entered the 6th Fleet’s area of operations. The Truman had been sidelined due to electrical glitches; it is expected to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln.