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Military Times
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[l] at 6/5/26 1:59pm
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first official trip to Venezuela this week, five months after the high-risk U.S. military operation that removed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro, from power.Caine held bilateral discussions with senior leaders of the interim government and with U.S. embassy personnel. During those meetings, he underscored the importance of Venezuelan stability, broader security across the Western Hemisphere and the military’s commitment to implementing Trump’s “three-phase plan,” Joe Holstead, a spokesman for Caine, said in a statement.The plan focuses on avoiding chaos, bolstering an economic recovery and — eventually — facilitating a transition to democracy. A key pillar of the effort has been restoring Venezuela’s oil industry, which Trump previously characterized as a “total bust.”All of that changed with Operation Absolute Resolve. The sprawling military raid — which involved more than 150 aircraft — culminated in Delta Force commandos descending on a heavily fortified compound and capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pair were later flown to New York, where they each face criminal charges.The U.S. military, meanwhile, continues to maintain a robust presence in the region, with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group sailing into the Caribbean in May. The Pentagon, since September, has carried out at least 62 strikes in the waters off South America, killing nearly 200 people whom the Trump administration says were involved in drug trafficking, according to data compiled by Military Times. The legality of those operations continues to be hotly contested.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 1:29pm
Following high profile cases of sexual assault involving Army doctors, House lawmakers have proposed that chaperones be required at military hospitals and clinics for sensitive medical exams.Members of the House Armed Services Committee voted unanimously Thursday to include the mandate in their markup of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Under the provision, a trained third party would have to be present for exams conducted by obstetrician-gynecologists at military treatment facilities.The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, whose district includes Tripler Army Medical Center, one of the facilities where Army gynecologist Maj. Blaine McGraw, is accused of sexually abusing and secretly recording female patients.McGraw, 48, faces eight charges and 273 specifications involving 96 victims across a period of seven years at Tripler and the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas.During his Article 32 hearing on May 26, witnesses for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division said McGraw admitted recording patients, claiming he did it for the purpose of notetaking but also told investigators he had “voyeuristic tendencies” as a teenager that were exacerbated by a traumatic deployment to Syria, according to the Killeen Daily Herald.Tokuda’s amendment would require military health facilities to train chaperones and ensure they be used for any exam, treatment or procedure that involves the ”genitalia, rectum or female breasts” or for forensic health exams.It follows a Defense Health Agency policy change last year that said physicians must offer chaperones for sensitive medical exams or procedures.Patients have always had access to a chaperone in the military health system, but doctors are now required to offer one under the policy.The proposed requirement would not have had any impact on a separate sexual assault case involving Army physician Maj. Michael Stockin, who was sentenced in 2025 to nearly 14 years in prison for sexually abusing patients at Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington.Stockin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, pleaded guilty to 41 violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing with male patients during medical exams.At the time of Stockin’s investigation, it was considered one of the largest cases involving sexual assault in the U.S. military. The committee’s markup of the defense policy bill must pass the House and be negotiated in conference process with the Senate before it becomes law.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 12:44pm
As artificial intelligence companies developed models with weaponization potential, they have an obligation to be considerate of their systems, the Department of Defense chief technology officer said.On the heels of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on AI innovation, Emil Michael, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said that he’s concerned about the category of “cyber weapons” that companies are releasing, such as Anthropic’s Mythos.“These companies have a responsibility to ensure that their weapons, what they call weaponization potential of these models, to be careful and thoughtful about what they’re doing,” Michael said Thursday at The Washington Post’s inaugural Building America Summit.Lawmakers have increasingly warned against the weaponization of AI models by U.S. adversaries against citizens, businesses and government agencies, calling for their crafting to include resilient security measures to safeguard against hacks.On Tuesday, the White House released an executive order that establishes an “AI cybersecurity clearinghouse,” through which AI industry partners can volunteer to have the Defense Department scan their systems for software vulnerabilities before their release.Michael said that companies that have models with a “weaponization capability” could allow the federal government to spend 30 days examining their systems. The government could potentially identify vulnerabilities across the country in systems with IP that could be susceptible to hacks, such as electricity grids or public hospitals.“I think they’ve all agreed and think it’s a good idea to do that. That’s been a good constructive process,” Michael said. “I give all the companies, Open AI, even Anthropic, and Google credit for sort of agreeing that was a smart thing to do.”Anthropic has been left out of deals with the Pentagon after the firm refused to allow unrestricted access to its Claude models for fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance.The company sued the Trump administration over the federal government labeling the firm as a supply chain risk over its decision to restrict the military’s use of its technology. Mythos, Anthropic’s new model, has drawn criticism as skeptics of the program point out that it could pose a danger with its hacking and cybersecurity capabilities. Anthropic previewed the model and announced that it was capable of finding ways to exploit vulnerabilities in software.Meanwhile, the DoD has integrated AI throughout the department. When posed a question at the summit about the government’s usage of AI, Michael said that six months ago, only about 80,000 federal employees were AI users each month. But now, there are 1.5 million, he stated, saying that the government has “raced” to ramp up usage among workers for efficiency, intelligence and warfighting. “I think by the end of this year, I’d be shocked if three quarters of the department isn’t using AI in some way,” Michael said. “We’ve integrated all the biggest AI companies over the last few months, so, we’re, in one year, going to make progress more than the five years before it.”

[Category: / MilTech] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 12:36pm
A House panel voted Thursday to return the names of nine southern U.S. military bases to those recommended in 2023 by a congressional commission assigned to study the Defense Department’s Confederate honorifics. After a spirited 30-minute debate late Thursday evening, members of the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment offered by Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., to change the names in a narrow 29-27 vote. In offering her amendment, Strickland said it was necessary because the Trump administration ignored Congress by changing the new names, choosing to honor, instead, different service members with the same last names as the Confederate officers for which the bases originally were named. Strickland said while the current names honor military personnel in their own right — for example, Fort Lee in Virginia is now named for Fitz Lee, a Buffalo soldier who earned the Medal of Honor — the administration’s changes sidestepped the law and were hurtful to many military personnel and veterans for reviving Confederate legacies. “They used the same stunt the commission considered and rejected, finding new service members that share the same last name as the Confederate traitors,” Strickland said. Republican Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who voted for the amendment, said his Virginia ancestor fought for the Union and would be “rolling in his grave” knowing U.S. military bases were named for Confederate leaders. “I thought we did it right in 2020 — we debated it, it was a strong debate here. It passed in the House, a Democrat majority, and it passed in the Senate, Republican majority,“ Bacon said. ”The president vetoed it, and we overrode the veto. We did it right, and what happens is the secretary comes in here, puts his thumb in our eye … it should bother all of us.” Lawmakers opposed to the change said the longstanding names have widespread and international recognition and mean much to the troops who have served on the bases, even as they may not know much about the installation’s namesakes. “To judge historical figures by the morality of our time is taking certain things out of context … I just heard we can’t honor our forefathers who enslaved other people. Are we going to rename this city? Where does it end?” asked Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas. “I think Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and President Trump have struck a reasonable balance. Our history should be taught, not erased, the good and bad,” agreed Rep. John McGuire, R-Va. Under Strickland’s amendment, the Naming Commission’s recommendations would be reinstated: Fort A.P. Hill would become Fort Walker; Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty; Fort Benning would become Fort Moore; Fort Hood would become Fort Cavazos; Fort Lee would become Fort Gregg-Adams; Fort Polk would become Fort Johnson; Fort Rucker would be Fort Novosel; and Fort Pickett would be Fort Barfoot. Fort Gordon also would become Fort Shughart-Gordon. The installation, once named for Confederate Maj. General John Brown Gordon, was changed last year to honor Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroism in the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia. Strickland said she worked with Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., to add the name Sgt. First Class Randall Shughart, who also earned the Medal of Honor in that battle. Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., joined with Bacon and committee Democrats to overturn the names. Codifying the ‘Department of War’The panel also voted to change the name of the Defense Department to the Department of War. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Fla., introduced the amendment, saying that the change sends an “unmistakable signal” that “America is willing to fight and win to secure its interests.” “This name reflects the determination and resolve of our brave men and women of the U.S. military who aggressively fight to secure our national interests,” Jackson said. “Our military does much more than defend the homeland.” The War Department was established by legislation signed by President George Washington in 1789, and it remained so until 1947, when President Harry Truman sought to consolidate the services under a single Cabinet-level command structure. Truman recommended that Congress pass legislation creating a Department of National Defense, which became the Defense Department. Pentagon asks Congress to codify ‘Department of War,’ estimates $52 million costTrump issued an executive order Sept. 5, 2025, to restore the name Department of War, a secondary title to the Defense Department. The department has been using the moniker but requires legislation to permanently change the name. Smith said the name change would have very little impact on adversaries. “Practically speaking, it makes no frickin’ difference whatsoever. We have a lot of important work to do … and we are arguing over a name. It’s incredibly expensive to change that name,” Smith said. Earlier in the day, the panel also voted unanimously by voice vote to ban hate symbols like swastikas, nooses and other graphics across the department, to include tattoos, uniforms, patches, personal equipment and government property. The amendment requires the secretary to establish standards for identifying and addressing prohibited symbols and procedural review for removal. Coast Guard clarifies hate symbol policyThe proposal is related to a policy change last year by the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, that classified the Nazi insignia as “potentially divisive” rather than a hate symbol. Coast Guard officials said the policy change was misunderstood, and it was designed to clarify — not downgrade — its stand on extremist symbols. “This is not an updated policy but a new policy to combat any misinformation and double down that the U.S. Coast Guard forbids these symbols,” officials wrote in a statement.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 10:31am
The Defense Department would be required to report on the total cost of U.S. operations in Iran, including the costs of damaged property, expended munitions and unplanned deployments and mobilizations, under a proposal advanced by the House Armed Services Committee on Friday.The measure, which has bipartisan support, was added as an amendment to the House version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, a massive defense funding and policy bill. After more than 14 hours of debate, the committee sent the bill to the full House, where it’s expected to go to the floor for a vote in July. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., introduced the amendment. Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran, previously grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the cost of the war. During an April 29 hearing, Moulton guessed the cost could reach $100 billion, or about $600 per U.S. taxpayer, he said.“For the American taxpayers out there, I’m just wondering if they have an extra 600 bucks lying around to pay for your war,” Moulton said. “That’s a question we ought to ask.”The measure requires the defense secretary to provide the House and Senate armed services committees with an unclassified assessment of the total cost of the operations by April 1, 2027. The U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began Feb. 28.In addition to the costs of damaged or destroyed equipment and property, expended munitions and deployments, the report would include the cost of an ongoing U.S. Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the proposal says.Pentagon officials estimated May 12 that the total cost of the Iran war had reached $29 billion, up from $25 billion on April 29. Jules Hurst III, the Defense Department’s acting comptroller, relayed the figures to lawmakers during back-to-back budget hearings on Capitol Hill.Hurst emphasized that the projections did not include expenditures for repairing damaged military installations in the region.A Congressional Research Service report released May 13 tallied 42 U.S. aircraft lost or damaged during the war, with drones accounting for 25 of the 42 losses.The Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the scale of munitions expended before a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect April 7, citing operational security. A May 27 analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, however, found that more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles had been launched during the U.S. strikes on Iran and 290 THAAD interceptors were used.In addition to providing the cost assessment to the armed services committees, the measure mandates the Defense Department make it publicly available on the its website.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 9:36am
ROME — Battles in tunnels in Gaza and fierce underground fighting in Ukraine have convinced special forces units around the world to brush on the latest techniques in subterranean combat, but they are facing a problem — where do you train for that?One answer lies in Italy, where a growing number of nations are lining up to use an unlikely location built deep underground in the 1930s by the government of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.Lurking under woodland in Fornovo Taro near Parma lies a system of five massive, drum-shaped cisterns which once held aviation fuel as well as 2km of connecting passageways, all designed to withstand enemy bombing.“Gaza has accelerated the use of this place like this - despite their technology, the Israelis were not ready for fighting in tunnels,” said a manager at the site, who spoke to Defense News but declined to be named due to company policy.Israel is among 17 national customers who have now trained at the privately run site known as La Carona, with other special forces units arriving from countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Poland, Greece and Turkey.The U.S. Green Berets have also used the site as does a dedicated Italian army underground fighting unit created by the Italian army Folgore paratrooper brigade.After resisting 150 bombing runs by the Allies in the Second World War, the cisterns continued to be used by the Italian Air Force to hold aviation fuel until 2000 when the site was abandoned and the fuel drained out.In 2020 the La Carona was purchased and reopened for training by its current owners.“We saw the site and decided it would be perfect for special forces training,” said the manager.The cylindrical tanks, which are supported by concrete columns, measure around 20 meters in diameter by seven meters in height and are linked by tunnels which once channelled fuel between them. Another 1km long tunnel once carried fuel to a nearby train station.Special forces entering the tunnels now engage in simulated combat.The space recreates the limitations of real tunnel fighting - from darkness, to limited radio use to no GPS. A control room allows trainers to generate sound, including the noise of explosions, as well as smoke and lighting.Robot canines and real dogs, as well as drones that can function without GPS can all be introduced.“The key ability to learn here is how to map underground spaces,” said the manager.Combat in tunnels grabbed the headlines as the Israel Defense Forces entered the so-called Gaza Metro - a system of tunnels thought to total hundreds of miles - when it sought out hostages taken during the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.A year earlier, Ukrainian forces held out for weeks against Russian attacks in the labyrinth of underground tunnels under the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol, which was described as a ‘fortress within a city’.“Most of the world’s population now lives in an urban setting and war is increasingly fought in cities. Underground combat can make the difference,” said the manager.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/5/26 6:49am
U.S. forces conducted an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina overnight in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command said on Friday.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s sea trade while Tehran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle ​East Gulf.U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel MT DAVINA located in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks… pic.twitter.com/7sNPNx0doN— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) June 5, 2026“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Indo-Pacific Command wrote in an X post.The Davina, a supertanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil, was placed under U.S. sanctions in October 2024 for Iranian oil trading, according to ship tracking data.The vessel, also known as the Lenore, was last seen on June 5 off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed on Friday.The vessel’s draft indicated that it was almost fully laden with an oil cargo, separate shipping data showed.

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[l] at 6/5/26 6:18am
House lawmakers advanced a measure Thursday to slash gasoline prices at military exchanges in an effort to make fuel cheaper for U.S. service members. The proposal would authorize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to offer a discount at exchange stores that’s equivalent to the price of the federal gas tax. The tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for regular and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. The proposal would also allow the secretary to cut fuel prices further in order to counteract state and local taxes. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., introduced the measure, which was included — with bipartisan support — in the House’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that passed through the House Armed Services Committee early Friday morning. “This discount, equal to the federal fuel tax, shows profound gratitude to our nation’s heroes who have borne the heavy costs of war defending our freedoms,” Hamadeh said in a statement. “This common-sense step delivers real relief to our selfless service members and their families.”But the relief won’t be imminent. The bill next goes to the full House for a vote, followed by negotiations with the Senate to establish a final fiscal 2027 defense package. Over the past several years, the budgeting process has included stopgap funding measures and stretched to December before defense appropriations were finalized.Domestic gas prices have surged since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran began on Feb. 28. The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway for global oil trade — has sent oil prices up.Across the U.S., Memorial Day weekend prices were the highest they’d been in four years, according to the American Automobile Association. The national average for a gallon of regular was $4.56 over that holiday weekend, $1.38 higher than the same weekend last year.Pump prices have cooled in the days since, with the average cost of a gallon of regular on Thursday at $4.24. “But uncertainty lingers over when the Strait of Hormuz will fully reopen and resume traffic,” AAA said in a release. “That unknown means oil prices will likely not decrease dramatically as summertime gasoline demand starts going up.”According to the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, fuel prices are set locally by surveying gas stations in close proximity to installations and matching the lowest price.Polling about the Iran war has revealed deep concerns from Americans about the increased gas prices. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from May, 63% of the country say their household’s personal financial situation has taken a hit from recent gas price increases, up from 55% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March.President Donald Trump said in a CBS News interview in May that he would consider suspending the federal gas tax for all Americans, but the tax moratorium would require an act of Congress.

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[l] at 6/5/26 6:10am
The U.S. Army plans to order thousands of next-generation, short-range air defense missiles to replace the aging FIM-92 Stinger. A new Army Request for Information seeks to identify companies that can deliver 11,000 Next Generation Short Range Interceptor, or NGSRI, missiles beginning in Fiscal Year 2028. The response deadline is July 6. The RFI asks companies to “provide projected unit cost estimates given a planning factor of 11,000 NGSRI missiles and 2,200 Control Launch Assemblies over a ten-year production period,” the document states. “As a planning factor, assume procurement of 200 missiles and 20 CLAs in year one (FY28) and 500 missiles and 20 CLAs in year 2 (FY29). As an additional planning factor excursion, assume doubling the [low-rate initial production] quantities in year one and year two.” The Army describes NGSRI as a “high performance, soldier portable, fire and forget, surface to air missile system capable of defeating rotary wing, fixed wing, and Group 2/3 unmanned aircraft system threats.”The NGSRI initiative is part of the Maneuver Short Range Air Defense, or M-SHORAD, program, which aims to revamp the Army’s mobile air defenses amid a growing threat from drones, hypersonic missiles and other guided munitions. Trials for M-SHORAD Increment 1 — renamed Sgt. Stout — mounted Stingers, a 30mm cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun on a radar-equipped Stryker. Increment 2 tested a 50 kW laser mounted on a Stryker. Increment 3 calls for replacing the Stinger with the faster and longer-range NGSRI short-range interceptor. The Stinger only has a speed of Mach 2, in part because it is “powered by a traditional solid fuel rocket motor,” explained the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center. The NGSRI will reportedly have a speed of Mach 3. RTX and Northrop Grumman tested these missiles with a more powerful Highly Loaded Grain solid rocket motor last year. In February 2026, RTX demonstrated NGSRI’s “to track drone targets and be fired from a man-portable launcher,” the company said. NGSRI is designed to be fired from vehicles and shoulder-mounted launchers. It will be compatible with existing Stinger missile launchers, such as Sgt. Stout and the Marine Corps Air-To-Air Launcher. The new Army RFI calls for contractors to explain how they will mount NGSRI on the Sgt. Stout. “The company shall describe the approach and cost per kit for retrofitting the SGT STOUT to fire the missile from the Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher,” the RFI states. “As a planning factor there will be 248 SGT STOUTs with up to two Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher launchers per platform.” The Stinger was first deployed in the early 1980s to replace the FIM-43 Redeye. It has been used in numerous conflicts, including the Soviet-Afghan War, where Afghan militants used U.S.-supplied Stingers to down Soviet Mi-24 helicopter gunships.

[Category: / MilTech] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/4/26 5:19pm
House Democrats expressed frustration with the U.S. military for seeking funding for a $17 billion battleship instead of investing more in cheaper autonomous weapons systems as warfare continues to change rapidly.During a House Armed Services Committee markup of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers said that investing in Trump-class battleships would mean ignoring lessons learned from past Navy mistakes in which the service invested billions of dollars in ill-conceived procurement programs.Instead, lawmakers wanted the military to invest in the future, incorporating lessons about the importance of uncrewed systems that other conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, have laid bare.“This is the most expensive sitting duck in world history,” said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. “This battleship is a boondoggle.”Moulton referenced an op-ed by retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis in which he argued battleships are entirely obsolete in the face of hypersonic missiles, drone swarms and a litany of modern weapons systems. The battleship was a “vanity project” that would inevitably fall by the wayside and vanish once Trump left office and Republicans came to their senses, Moulton said.The discussion revolved around the allocation of $1 billion for the Trump-class battleship included in the House’s version of the NDAA. An amendment proposed by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the committee, sought to void that allocation completely.The amendment failed on a 26-30 vote, but lawmakers were defiant in their rejection of the Trump-class battleship program, and more broadly, of what it meant fiscally and strategically for the military.President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 Defense Department budget request listed the cost of the first Trump-class battleship at $17 billion, but a Congressional Budget Office report assessed that the ship could cost closer to $20 billion.Construction on the first Trump-class battleship is slated to begin in 2028, with delivery scheduled for the 2030s, according to Navy budget estimates.“Where we need to be going is smaller more attritable autonomous systems,” Smith said. “The capabilities of these systems are growing by leaps and bounds from one iteration to the next and they cost pennies compared to what something like this battleship would cost.”Trump announced his desire in December 2025 to build several Trump-class battleships. It would mark the first time the Navy would pursue building a battleship since 1944, when the Iowa-class USS Missouri was launched.Trump-class battleships should not be built until weapons technology is ready, lawmakers sayRep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said he took umbrage with the fact that the president announced plans for the battleship without any proof of design or analysis, instead offering an AI-generated photo during a concept unveiling at his Florida resort over the holiday season.The $1 billion included in the NDAA requested $390 million to go toward design and $610 million for fabricated parts and steel for the design of the ship.Smith specifically cited previous instances in which the Navy put the cart before the horse, pointing toward the Zumwalt-class, littoral combat ship and the Next Generation Cruiser, or CG(X), program in which the shipbuilding process saw construction begin before design was complete, leading to ship failures — and a program cancellation in the case of the CG(X) program.Other lawmakers piled on.“Look to the present and then to the future and say, ‘Does this make any sense?’” said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif. “This battleship makes absolutely no sense.”Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., questioned the possibility for success of a battleship planned to be outfitted with weapons systems that hadn’t even been built yet.The president’s namesake vessel would rely on hypersonic missiles, electromagnetic railguns and high-powered lasers, Trump said in December.But the hypersonic missile program was only in its testing phase, and the Navy’s electromagnetic railgun program was paused in 2021 after never fielding the weapon. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle recently admitted that high-energy laser weapons were necessary but would require more funding and research to implement widely across the Navy fleet.“The necessity of this Trump-class battleship ... comes from the name and name alone,” Vindman said. “The real need on the modern battlefield is cheaper, smaller, distributed and, in some cases, unmanned systems.”The $17 billion price tag of the battleship would enable the military to buy roughly 3.5 million of $5,000 drones, Vindman said.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/4/26 3:12pm
Rep. Pat Ryan, D-NY., argued Thursday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outdid his Saturday Night Live caricature when he reversed the punishment of two U.S. Army pilots who hovered Apache helicopters near musician Kid Rock’s Tennessee mansion in March.“Secretary Hegseth exceeded his SNL character’s ridiculousness when he made a deeply problematic and pathetic decision” to undo the pilots’ suspensions, Ryan said. Ryan made the comments while attempting to add an amendment to the House’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would require Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to brief the House Armed Services Committee about why the investigation into the pilots was canceled. The measure failed on a vote of 25-32.“This amendment is really just about doing the right thing, which is getting answers on both what happened but also understanding why the secretary killed this investigation. ... Is there something deeper he might be hiding or covering up?” Ryan said. He described the Army flyby as “inappropriate,” “dangerous” and “a massive waste of money.”“Not to mention, it’s in the middle of a war,” Ryan said.Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the committee chairman, encouraged committee members to strike down the proposal. “I’m not sure what we gain from a congressional investigation,” Rogers said.Ryan retorted that the amendment called for a briefing to the committee, and not a new investigation.Kid Rock, whose real name is Richard James Ritchie, posted two videos in March showing him waving to an Apache helicopter as it lingered near the pool outside of his Nashville estate. Quickly after, the Army confirmed that two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, had taken part in the flight and said the soldiers involved had been suspended while the event was investigated.“The Army takes any allegations of unauthorized or unsafe flight operations very seriously and is committed to enforcing standards and holding personnel accountable,” Army spokesperson Maj. Montrell Russell said in a statement at the time.In a post on social media, Hegseth thanked Kid Rock and said “pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.” The following month, Hegseth and Kid Rock took a ride in an Apache helicopter around the Washington, D.C., area, The New York Times reported.“We’re not asking for much here, just a briefing on why Secretary Hegseth canceled the Army’s investigation,” said Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., before the measure was struck down. “To my knowledge, he has never actually explained it.”

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[l] at 6/4/26 2:12pm
The Department of Defense has filed a motion to block a June 2 court order that required it to allow recruits with asymptomatic HIV to enlist or commission into the U.S. military.Attorneys for the Pentagon filed a motion Wednesday asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to reconsider its Tuesday decision in the case, Wilkins v. Hegseth, which lifted a stay on prohibiting HIV-positive people whose infections are controlled by medication and who otherwise qualify from serving while the case continues.In 2024, Circuit Court Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District Court of Virginia ruled that with treatment advances — and previous court rulings that allowed infected personnel to continue serving and deploy — civilians with controlled levels of the virus should be allowed to serve. The Defense Department appealed Brinkema’s decision, and last December, the Fourth Circuit implemented a stay to new enlistments while it considered the case. In February, a three-judge panel reversed Brinkema’s ruling, but in May, the appeals court announced the case would be heard by a full panel of judges. The court clarified that the decision also lifted the stay.The announcement was met with swift response from attorneys for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who asked that the stay be reinstated.“Applying the injunction universally would disrupt the military’s expansive recruitment and accession operations,” wrote Charles Scarborough, an appellate attorney for the Civil Division in the Department of Justice. “With the panel’s grant of a stay, the military resumed applying its HIV-related accession policies. Ceasing application of those policies … would impose an unnecessary and wholly improper burden on the military’s operations,” Scarborough added.The case involves Isaiah Wilkins and two unnamed HIV-positive plaintiffs who sued the Defense Department after they sought to join or re-enlist but were prohibited based on their HIV status. Wilkins was serving as a member of the Georgia Army National Guard who found out he was HIV-positive while trying to enlist in the Army Reserve. The plaintiffs argued that antiviral medications kept their viral loads low or undetectable and affected U.S. service members had won similar suits and were allowed to stay in the military and deploy.Defense Department and military services have long been concerned over transmission of HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, from exposure to blood in a needle stick or responding to a traumatic injury. In 2022, after Brinkema ruled that the military could not deny commissions to HIV-positive troops who sought to become officers nor could they be discharged, the Defense Department barred commanders involuntarily separating, restricting deployments or preventing commissions of affected troops.The Defense Department stopped processing and training new recruits who were HIV-positive in January following the 4th Circuit’s decision to implement a stay.Attorneys representing Wilkins and others said Tuesday they did not expect the stay to be lifted. They called it “great news.”“On a regular basis, I hear from people with HIV who want to serve their country by joining the military, and that’s now again a viable option,” said Peter Perkowski in a statement issued by Minority Veterans of America, a group that has joined the plaintiffs.The Defense Department disagreed.“This Court should enter an order reinstituting the panel’s prior stay of the universal injunction on appeal in this case to the extent the injunction applies beyond the three individual plaintiffs in this suit,” Scarborough wrote in court documents. From January 2020 through June 2025, the Defense Department screened roughly 7 million service members across the active, reserve and National Guard components. Of those, 1,463 were identified as HIV-positive, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/4/26 10:59am
The U.S. Navy fired a trio of top brass at an overseas maintenance center due to a loss of confidence in the leaders’ ability to command, the service announced Wednesday.Rear Adm. Dan Lannamann, who commands the Navy Regional Maintenance Center, ousted the commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief of the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center.Capt. Wendel Penetrante, Capt. Edwin Catubig and Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Howell were relieved of their duties Wednesday.“There is no impact to the command’s mission as a result of these reliefs,” the Navy said.The service typically uses the phrase “loss of confidence” as a blanket statement when dismissing senior leaders.Navy fires commanding officer of USS Truxtun following collision with supply shipThe Navy did not provide details on the circumstances surrounding the firing.Capt. John Bauer, commander, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, temporarily stepped into the role of commanding officer.In the interim, Cmdr. David Reinhardt, waterfront operations officer, assumed the duties of executive officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer David Marcus, CNRMC command master chief, has taken over the position of command master chief.The Navy in February fired the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Mason due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/4/26 10:00am
The Navy is eliminating regular performance reports for a handful of senior paygrades in an effort to “reduce administrative burdens on senior leadership,” the service announced Wednesday. Effective immediately, master chiefs (E-9), chief warrant officers 5 (CWO5) and limited duty officers at the rank of captain (O-6) are now exempt from regular periodic performance evaluations and fitness reports, according to the June 3 NavAdmin. “Personnel in these paygrades have demonstrated a sustained history of superior performance and established records that negate the requirement for annual periodic reporting,” the message stated. Previously, evaluation and fitness reports for the specified personnel were to be submitted on an annual basis, according to the NavAdmin. The new policy change, meanwhile, does not impact reporting requirements for personnel assigned to a detachment. “Reporting seniors retain the authority and are highly encouraged to submit special evaluations or fitness reports for personnel in these paygrades to document distinctly outstanding performance or sub-standard performance/misconduct,” the message states. The service’s Bureau of Naval Personnel is overseeing the implementation of the new policy, while individual commands are instructed to ensure local policies and ticklers, or administrative reminders, “are updated to reflect the removal of regular periodic reporting requirements for the affected paygrades,” the memo states. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the exemptions apply to fitness reports, or FITREPS.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/4/26 9:22am
The USS Carl Vinson has been awarded the 2025 aircraft carrier Battle Effectiveness award, the Navy recently announced Wednesday.The Battle “E” is awarded to U.S. Navy commands that display “superior performance during operations, inspections, certifications, assessments and training events in a competitive cycle, assessing their proficiency and overall effectiveness in all phases of operations,” according to the Navy. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier returned to port in August 2025 after a nine-month deployment which saw the Carl Vinson operating in the U.S. 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operations, including providing support to Operation Rough Rider, a large-scale military campaign that launched air and naval strikes against Iran-backed Houthi Rebels.By the time the Carl Vinson homeported in San Diego, California, the aircraft carrier had completed more than 10,000 sorties, 23,000 flight hours and sailed over 275,000 nautical miles combined. “The Carl Vinson team displayed unrelenting perseverance and superior performance as they successfully carried out sustained operations at sea throughout 2025,” Capt. Joshua Wenker, commanding officer of Carl Vinson, said in a release.“Our sailors worked together to successfully execute a wide range of missions while operating in the Western Pacific and the Middle East, once again setting the standard for courage and steadfastness. I could not be more proud of my team, and their achievements continue to add to the storied history and legacy that has made this ship America’s Favorite Carrier!”In addition to the Battle “E” achievement, 11 departments on board the Carl Vinson earned distinction, with the vessel also earning awards for Carrier Maintenance and Environment Protection and Energy Conservation, according to the Navy. As the U.S. Navy’s third Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the Carl Vinson plays an integral role as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1, consisting of Carrier Air Wing 2, guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George, the Zumwalt-class USS Michael Monsoor, the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas and the guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 1.

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[l] at 6/4/26 9:02am
Over a decade after Syria agreed to dismantle its formidable chemical arsenal, international inspectors have uncovered scores of previously hidden chemical weapons materials as the country enters a fragile new phase marked by a shifting security landscape.The discoveries, announced in a late May report by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, include chemical munitions — such as aerial bombs and rockets — as well as production materials and thousands of pages documenting the deadly program under ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. The findings come amid a nationwide power reshuffle as a patchwork of security players, including the U.S. and allies, struggle to secure a country devastated by years of war wrought by the government and extremist groups. A recent Pentagon watchdog report described the transition as increasingly unstable, acknowledging that the new Syrian government forces quickly consolidated control over territory once held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, who had been allied with the U.S. military in the region’s fight against the Islamic State. By mid-April, U.S. troops closed and withdrew from several American bases, handing over control to government forces and ending a 10-year presence in the country. That same report warned that Syria’s new authorities would likely struggle to exercise control over the nation’s fragmented security apparatus, especially as the SDF — which has controlled and governed much of northern Syria for years — integrates into a national armed force. Meanwhile, the chaos creates conditions ripe for militant groups like the Islamic State to once again flourish. Against that fraught backdrop, OPCW investigators caution that the full extent of Syria’s chemical weapons enterprise may remain unknown. The agency said information gathered since the December 2024 collapse of the Assad government indicated that more than 100 additional sites may be linked to the administration’s chemical weapons program, a stark increase beyond the 26 locations that were previously known. The OPCW also found the same variety of aerial bombs used in chemical attacks on the towns of Ltamenah in March 2017 and Khan Shaykhun in April 2017. Earlier investigations found that jets dropped sarin and chlorine in Ltamenah and sarin in Khan Shaykhun. In addition, investigators discovered the same type of rockets used in the 2013 chemical attack in Ghouta. UNCERTAIN SECURITYThe new information adds a layer of uncertainty to the security tribulations already faced by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as he seeks regional stability after leading the armed group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to topple Assad. Since March 2025, inspectors have visited over 20 sites across Syria, many of which were inaccessible during Assad’s administration but have since been opened as military control has shifted. In addition to questions about where other chemical weapons may be hidden, one expert said the question of exactly who has knowledge of — and access to — where those items are located could be equally troubling. Randa Slim, the director of the Middle East program at the Stimson Center, said the discovery of previously undeclared sites raises concerns that former Assad-era officials tied to the program may retain access to materials or information.“There is definitely an economic benefit to them to sell these materials to non-state actors — like Hezbollah or ISIS,” she said, adding that black markets for such items exist and that ISIS had used chemical weapons in the past. The combination of military transition, combined with incomplete information about the location of chemical weapons materials, can create a “proliferation risk” given the militant groups still operating in the region.Though Al-Sharaa’s administration vowed to rid the country of chemical weapons, the country’s transition to a unified military has given way to other security gaps.The Pentagon watchdog assessment said at least 150 ISIS fighters escaped detention facilities during the now-Syrian government’s offensive as SDF fighters, who were guarding the prisons, redeployed to the front lines as their territorial autonomy was threatened.The report also described mounting disorder at camps and detention centers that contained families once involved in the terror group’s short-lived caliphate. The U.S. transferred over 5,700 ISIS detainees to facilities in Iraq but roughly 20,000 people living in al Hol, a camp for displaced persons, which included thousands of ISIS families and partners, left the settlement without any monitoring. Slim also said that the departure of U.S. forces from Syria earlier this year could complicate efforts to track militant activity and monitor the movement of dangerous materials.While American troops were largely based in northern Syria, she said the military was able to provide intelligence that helped monitor ISIS and other extremist networks. “With them out of there, that kind of situational awareness that the U.S. forces could provide — on movement of material, movement of ISIS — is no longer there,” she said. It remains unclear, Slim cautioned, whether Syria’s transitional authorities can independently maintain that level of monitoring while simultaneously trying to consolidate control over a fractured security apparatus.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/3/26 7:36pm
The U.S. Army on Wednesday identified a soldier who died in what the service has called a training-related incident. Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, died on May 31 at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, according to a Defense Department release. He was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve at the time of the incident. Seibel, a native of Robinson, Texas, was a combat medic specialist assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Carson, Colorado. He enlisted in May 2017 and previously completed a deployment to Afghanistan in 2020-21. “Sgt. Seibel’s positive impact as an exceptional non-commissioned officer, friend and husband was felt by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” Col. Cameron Gallagher, commander of the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, said in a statement provided to Military Times. “He distinguished himself through an unwavering commitment to professional excellence and a relentless pursuit of growth. As a flight paramedic supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, he consistently delivered outstanding patient care and embodied the highest standards of our profession. His loss is deeply felt across the entire Ivy Eagle Brigade and his legacy of service, compassion and dedication will not be forgotten.”Seibel’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal with Combat Device, five Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal, the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, and the Driver and Mechanic Badge. A statement Tuesday by U.S. Army Central and Third Army noted that the incident occurred as troops were training alongside British Army partners. A British soldier, Lance Corporal James Freeman, was also killed in the incident. Freeman died “following a tragic accident during routine military training activity whilst deployed on Operation SHADER, Iraq,” the British Ministry of Defence posted. He was 29 years old. The incident is currently under investigation, a Defense Department release stated.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/3/26 3:19pm
The U.S. Navy is in the process of expanding the amount of grab-and-go food stations at shore-based installations and implementing changes that will make those options accessible all day.Vice Adm. Scott Gray, commander of Navy Installations Command, announced the development during a media roundtable Wednesday, in which he discussed the service’s recently announced food service transformation initiative.“We acknowledge that our sailors are busy,” Gray said in the roundtable. “This grab-and-go is an effort to ensure that no matter what your schedule looks like during the day, you have the opportunity not only to ensure that you get something to eat but that you get healthy options.”In 2025, there were few grab-and-go options across all shore-based galleys, Gray said.By the end of June 2026, there will be a grab-and-go stations at 95% of all shore-based galleys.The Navy is also planning to maximize the amount of time those grab-and-go stations are open by the end of the year.CNO denies reports of poor food service aboard Navy vesselsRight now, galleys operate so that they only offer food during breakfast, lunch and dinner time.In between those hours, sailors are unable to access food there.But by the end of 2026, grab-and-go stations will operate from the minute the galley opens to the minute it closes to ensure that sailors always have a meal option that accommodates their busy schedule.“If you come in, for example, at breakfast time and you have your breakfast and you know you’re not going to be able to come back and have lunch, you can then swipe your card before you go and take a sandwich, a salad and a protein drink with you, so that you can eat,” Gray said.Gray also provided more information about the expanded meal entitlement options for sailors that the Navy Systems Command announced last week.The service launched its shore food service transformation initiative on May 29 at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, and on June 3 at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, with the goal of expanding its reach to other installations if the implementation proves successful.The Navy intends to begin phase two of the rollout between March and July 2027 and expand the initiative to another nine installations.The food shore initiative, aside from the expanded meal entitlement program, will offer multiple food stations within the galley, including international cuisine, a vegan station, a Mongolian barbecue station, pizza stations, a deli station and a salad bar, among others.The Navy is also attempting to boost the quality of food and service, having recently brought members from the Culinary Institute of America to both pilot program sites to train cooks.

[Category: / Your Military] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/3/26 3:00pm
Defense officials need to review their special needs health care coverage to make sure it meets the needs of military families, according to a new report from government auditors.The Government Accountability Office looked at the Tricare Extended Care Health Option, known as ECHO, and its ECHO home health care benefit, known as EHHC. Military families may face challenges getting access to these services, which help individuals keep, learn or improve skills and functioning for daily living; provide durable medical equipment and incontinence supplies; and offer caregiver support, such as respite care. Families with special needs may have difficulty getting access to the services they need, especially because of frequent military moves.The coverage may be outdated, with the amounts at the same level since 2009, auditors noted in a GAO report published Monday.Because of rising health care costs, the Defense Health Agency “lacks reasonable assurance that ECHO benefits, including EHHC services, are fully meeting the program’s purpose of mitigating the disabling effects of a qualifying condition,” auditors stated. The coverage limit for the ECHO program has remained at $36,000 per enrollee per calendar year since 2009, when lawmakers last authorized an increase. Auditors said that with inflation, that equates to about $24,000 in 2025 dollars.About 27,000 eligible dependents were enrolled in ECHO in 2024, according to DoD. Most of these are children with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities or other significant health needs. Eligibility and other requirements and coverage vary between the service branches. Of the total ECHO population, about 1,000 were homebound with complex medically complex conditions and qualified for the ECHO home health care benefit.But out of those 27,000 enrolled, only about 4,235, or 16%, used the ECHO services, auditors stated.In their response to a draft report, DoD disagreed with the GAO recommendation to assess whether the coverage limit of $36,000 is enough. They stated that in 2024, the 4,235 enrollees had an average total government expenditure of $6,600. That $36,000 coverage limit is set by law; those who require the ECHO home health care services aren’t subject to the cap. Auditors noted that a review could provide information for any potential congressional action. Lawmakers required GAO to conduct this review of the coverage for nursing care, habilitative programs and respite care through Tricare ECHO and other federal programs. ECHO respite care services must be provided by a Tricare-authorized home health agency, to provide a short-term break for the usual caregiver. The ECHO program allows up to 16 hours per month. The auditors also reviewed state Medicaid home- and community-based services, such as skilled nursing care and respite care, in seven states with high military populations. Military families may be eligible for this care, which in some cases may offer more benefits than ECHO, but access can be limited. Auditors cited a study that found in 2025, it took about 32 months to move from a waiting list to enroll in one of these state programs. Families have said that by the time they can receive the services in a state, it’s time for them to move.DoD is in the process of standardizing its eligibility requirements, and the number of respite care hours offered across all the military service branches through the Exceptional Family Member Program. DoD officials told GAO auditors that they expect to fully implement standardization of the respite care services by October 2027, and those with profound need would be eligible for up to 32 hours of respite care per month. Of all the services GAO auditors reviewed, respite care was the most frequently requested from 2022 through 2024, according to data from one of the Tricare managed care contractors. But about 68% of the authorizations for services weren’t used by the families. Defense Health Agency officials told auditors shortages of respite care providers may contribute to unused services. The shortage can also delay or limit access to nursing care services for military families.Low respite care hours and low reimbursement offered by ECHO may also contribute to challenges in getting providers, according to the GAO report.Two ECHO case managers told auditors that even if the respite hours increased to 32 hours per month, it would still be hard to find providers, since respite care providers want more hours than that.

[Category: / / Health Care] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/3/26 2:49pm
The U.S. military’s current cyber forces are “insufficient” to leverage the increase of cyber threats facing the nation, propelling the push by some policymakers to create an independent cyber branch, according to a report completed by two independent think tanks.If lawmakers decided to move forward with the development of a U.S. Cyber Force, there would be challenges to its implementation because current responsibilities are shared between the various services and U.S. Cyber Command, per the Wednesday report written by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Many observers contend that the challenge of generating military capability and capacity necessary to deter, compete, fight and win in the cyber domain can be directly attributed to the lack of a single organization responsible and accountable for force generation in cyberspace — or organizing, training and equipping the military forces operating in this domain,” the report states.Lawmakers have contemplated the necessity of a Cyber Force for over a decade since the 2010 establishment of U.S. Cyber Command, or CYBERCOM, one of the Department of Defense’s 11 unified combatant commands. Current efforts to create a standalone Cyber Force are spearheaded by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.The report showcases how CYBERCOM is expected to perform the functions of both a combatant command and a military service, but a proposed Cyber Force would take over most of its “service-like” responsibilities, and thus organizing, training and equipping forces for the cyber domain.The think tanks examined ways Congress and the Defense Department could stand up and implement a Cyber Force as a new military service with a cyber-specific mission that centers around assisting forces in conducting offensive and defense cyberspace operations.The initial budget for standing up a Cyber Force is an estimated $10 billion to $11 billion, the report says, although that budget is already currently allocated into other services and cyber capabilities. In the fiscal 2027 defense budget request, the Pentagon distributed $7.7 billion to cyberspace operations, according to budget documents, with $4.1 billion designated to CYBERCOM and the remaining $4.6 billion set aside for other defense organizations, such as the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The budget request also emphasized the need for $20.5 billion for cyberspace activities and $12.1 billion for cybersecurity.At least 20,000 active-duty personnel, 3,500 to 5,000 National Guard members and a civilian workforce of 6,000 would be needed to staff a Cyber Force if established, the report reads, highlighting that the commission envisions the force as a relatively small military organization.“By grouping personnel into broad occupational categories within which they can specialize or generalize, the Cyber Force will preserve distinct competencies, support future changes in how cyber missions are conducted and create a professional identity strong enough to anchor training, career development and long-term readiness,” the report says.Instead of following the precedent of other military branches, the commission recommended that a Cyber Force follows in the footsteps of the U.S. Public Health Service by employing commissioned and warrant officers for uniformed personnel without an “enlisted cadre.”The think tanks weighed two options for institutional alignment: placing the Cyber Force within the Department of the Army, like the Space Force is attached to the Department of the Air Force, or making the Cyber Force its own military department.If included in the Army, the force could have increased speed and efficiency since it would belong to an already existing DoD bureaucracy, but it could be then considered a lower priority.By having its own military department, the Cyber Force could ensure prioritization of cyber issues within the Pentagon, but standing up a new DoD bureaucracy would require substantial time and resources.Regardless of organizational structure, it would take between 12 to 18 months to reach initial operating capacity, the report states.

[Category: / Pentagon & Congress] [Link to media]

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[l] at 6/3/26 2:41pm
House lawmakers want to stop any reductions in service or closures of military hospitals or clinics by the Department of Defense, according to draft legislation under consideration this week in the Armed Services Committee.The panel’s personnel subcommittee has proposed limiting the DoD’s plans to restructure the military health system and called for reversing any changes the department has made to 41 military treatment facilities. The subcommittee’s draft of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization bill also would improve congressional oversight of military medical reforms by requiring the Defense Health Agency to give quarterly updates to Congress of its plans to change the system. The proposals stem from a massive overhaul of the military health system reforms initiated under the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which called for transferring military hospital and clinic management to the Defense Health Agency and reducing administrative redundancies across the system.The legislation ultimately aimed to focus the military health system on training military medical personnel for combat operations and caring for active-duty troops, and placing non-military patients in private sector care covered by the DoD. As a result of the reforms, DHA and the military services planned to restructure the entire hospital system, announcing in 2020 that it would improve two military medical centers and consolidate or downsize 48 facilities, including 38 that would no longer see military families or retirees as patients.At the time, Thomas McCaffery, who served as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs in the first Trump administration, said the changes were necessary to prepare military physicians and troops for deployment.“We reviewed all facilities through the lens of their contributions to military readiness — that includes MTFs [being] operated to ensure service members are medically ready to train and deploy,” McCaffery said in a 2020 report to Congress.But those reforms bled patients from military heath facilities, resulting in inadequate numbers for military physicians to maintain their skills. In turn, services degraded across many military hospitals and clinics, according to senior enlisted personnel.In late 2024, the Defense Department reversed course on the plan to shed patients to private care, vowing to bring back 7% of patients by the end of 2026. It also has announced several partnerships with community health facilities to ensure that military physicians get adequate trauma training and patient exposure to maintain their skills.But the DoD has failed to provide information to Congress regarding the reforms, frustrating members with its lack of candor regarding any planned closures of facilities.Concerns voiced by lawmakers over changes to facilities that weren’t made public, such as Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, New York, which was to lose its inpatient beds and Fort Leonard Wood’s new hospital. That hospital was to open not as a full-service hospital as planned, but an ambulatory clinic, which prompted several legislative changes, including the proposed fiscal 2027 NDAA restrictions.Under the draft NDAA, DHA would not be allowed to make changes proposed for 41 facilities and must “reverse any steps to carry out a service change” and “restore personnel and clinical services affected by any such service change to a level that existed as of March 3, 2026.”According to the proposed legislation, three facilities faced downsizing from hospitals to ambulatory care facilities, meaning they would have no inpatient capabilities. Those included:Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia;88th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, (including closing pediatric cardiology and discontinuing chiropractic care); andNaval Hospital Beaufort, South Carolina, including discontinuing chiropractic care.Those that would limit access to active-duty service members only included:78th Medical Group, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia;72nd Medical Group, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma;75th Medical Group, Hill Air Force Base, Utah; and66th Medical Squadron, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts.Those that would have excluded caring for retirees and their dependents, only seeing active-duty personnel and their family members were:22nd Medical Group, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas;341st Medical Group, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana;28th Medical Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota;92nd Medical Group, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington;90th Medical Group, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming;355th Medical Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona;9th Medical Group, Beale Air Force Base, California;45th Medical Group, Patrick Space Force Base, Florida;4th Medical Group, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina;460th Medical Group, Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado;27th Special Operations Medical Group, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico;412th Medical Group, Edwards Air Force Base, California;30th Medical Group, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California;Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, Texas;19th Medical Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, (which also plans to discontinue nutrition services); and20th Medical Group, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, (which also plans to discontinue nutrition services).Facilities planning to restrict services only to active duty members and dependents who live on base included:23rd Medical Group, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia;366th Medical Group, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho319th Medical Group, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota; and61st Medical Squadron, Los Angeles Space Force Base, California.Three facilities were slated to discontinue contracts for chiropractic and nutrition services, including:55th Medical Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska;2nd Medical Group, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; and87th Medical Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. In addition, the following facilities would discontinue contracts for chiropractic services:1st Special Operations Medical Group, Hurlburt Field, Florida;10th Medical Group, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; and96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.Seven facilities would have seen changes in services, to include:David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California, slated to lose its labor and delivery department; 42nd Medical Group, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, which would stop its educational and developmental intervention services;Vilseck Army Health Clinic, Germany, which would discontinue its physical medicine and rehabilitation services;Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River, Branch Health Clinic Dahlgren, Virginia, which would no longer offer radiology; Army Health Clinic Munson, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which would stop offering mammography; Naval Health Clinic Lemoore, California, which would lose its operating rooms;  and 7th Medical Group, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which would stop offering nutrition services.And according to the proposed legislation, one facility — the Desert Sage Community Based Medical Home, part of William Beaumont Army Medical Center, at Fort Bliss, Texas — was slated for closure.In October, then-acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Stephen Ferrara said review of the military health system was an ongoing process and no plans for reductions or closures were set in stone.“Like any enterprise, we’re always looking at ‘Where are we there — where do we have supply and demand mismatches?’ That’s just good governance of the system,” Ferrara said in response to a question from a reporter at a Military Officers Association of America conference. “If you looked at any corporation that had 100 hospitals or 100 stores, they should be looking at them to say where it makes sense to dedicate their resources. That’s kind of what we’re doing, just as a matter of course, so there’s not, like, a list,” Ferrara said.Karen Ruedisueli, MOAA’s director of government relations for health, said Tuesday that the organization, which represents active-duty and retired military personnel and family members, continues to press pressed Congress and the Defense Department to conduct “rigorous data-based analysis and mitigation planning” before shifting patients from military facilities to civilian care.Ruedisueli first reported on the facilities list in the proposed legislation Tuesday.“MOAA will keep members informed as this legislation moves forward and work to ensure any changes to the MHS prioritize the needs of those who have served,” Ruedisueli wrote in a blog post.The House Armed Services Committee plans its mark up of the fiscal 2027 NDAA Thursday. It then will be forwarded to the full chamber for consideration. The Senate Armed Services Committee plans to mark up its version next week but has not released a draft.

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