US to Stop War Games With So. Korea
Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
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President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a joint statement Tuesday agreeing to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And the US says military exercises on the peninsula will be put on hold. NBC reports that the agreement came at the end of historic negotiations that marked the first time a sitting US president had met with his North Korean counterpart. Veterans advocates are hoping that the summit will lead to discussions about returning the remains of thousands of fallen US troops missing for decades, reports Military Times.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford recently met with Russia’s chief of the military’s general staff, to exchange views on US and Russia military relations, Syria, and the international security situation, Military Times.
The US will intensify its fight against the Islamic State in Afghanistan during the Kabul government’s temporary halt to attacks on the Taliban, senior US officials say, reports Military Times.
Airmen from Yokota Air Base in Tokyo have found an alternative to the expensive, heavy, and faulty aircraft oxygen system known as AERPS — and it starts with a standard-issue gas mask, reports Air Force Times. The project could save the service at least $8 million.
Air Force Global Strike Command ordered a safety stand-down of its B-1B Lancer bombers after discovering a problem with its ejection seats, reports Air Force Times. But the problem will be fixed quickly, reports Military Times. DefSec Jim Mattis said, “I’m not concerned about it. Whatever it is, it will be fixed very quickly,” Mattis said of the issue, which came to light in May. In that incident, a B-1 crew experiencing a potentially catastrophic engine fire was unable to eject from the jet due to an ejection seat malfunction for one of the four crew members.
The Treasury Department imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia, reports The New York Times, escalating its response to Russian cyberwarfare as the administration continues to warn about Russia’s potential to meddle in the US’ upcoming midterm elections. “The United States is engaged in an ongoing effort to counter malicious actors working at the behest of the Russian Federation and its military and intelligence units to increase Russia’s offensive cybercapabilities,” Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said.
A missing Air Force officer turns up after 35 years on the lam, reports The Mercury News. After vanishing without a trace, the former spymaster is caught up in a fraud investigation. An Air Force spokeswoman told the Albuquerque Journal that there’s no indication the officer was involved with the Soviet Union or that any classified information was leaked. He was charged with desertion.
The New York Times explains how net neutrality actually ended long before this week. Large companies, today, pretty much are the internet, says the story; in this world, net neutrality didn’t have a chance.
The Air Force rolls out new incentives after sounding the alarm on a worrying shortfall of pilots, reports Air Force Times. The service is making headway on many fronts — including recruiting and training more new pilots, bringing back retired pilots, convincing experienced pilots to stay longer, and improving the lives of pilots so they’re happier.
The pilot of the F-15 that crashed earlier this week in Japan is in serious condition, reports Air Force Times. The crash occurred at Kadena Air Base after the pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
Military spouses will have free access to LinkedIn Premium for one year after making a permanent change-of-station move, under a new partnership between LinkedIn and the Defense Department, reports Military Times.
