Tag Archives: DOD

The Washington Post reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized earlier this week for unspecified reasons but is recuperating, the Pentagon said late Friday, after withholding the information for days. Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said that Austin, who is 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington on Monday “for complications following …

Via press release from the Department of Defense: The Department of Defense is moving quickly to meet President Biden’s commitment to defeat COVID-19, and that includes being able to ensure every member of our civilian and military workforce is protected. In accordance with the guidance the President issued today, all military and civilian DoD personnel will be asked to attest …

CNN reports: “We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Tuesday.  He also insisted the US had evidence to justify the attack that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq last week. “I can assure you it’s more than razor thin, it’s persuasive. …

Politico reports: Eric Chewning, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, is stepping down at the end of the month, the latest in a series of high-profile civilians to leave the Pentagon. He’ll be replaced by Jen Stewart, the top Republican staffer on the House Armed Services Committee and a former top adviser to the chairman of the Joint …

CNN reports: One of Defense Secretary James Mattis’ most senior civilian advisers is being investigated by the Defense Department Office of Inspector General for allegedly retaliating against staff members after she used some of them to conduct her personal errands and business matters, according to four sources familiar with the probe. Dana White, the Trump administration political appointee who serves …

Politico reports: There is “no medically valid reason” to exclude transgender people from serving in the military, the nation’s largest medical organization told Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday in a letter. The American Medical Association said the Pentagon’s recent evaluation of the requirements to accommodate transgender personnel “mischaracterized and rejected the wide body of peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness …

Politico reports: One of the Pentagon’s largest agencies can’t account for hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of spending, a leading accounting firm says in an internal audit obtained by POLITICO that arrives just as President Donald Trump is proposing a boost in the military budget. Ernst & Young found that the Defense Logistics Agency failed to properly document more …

Fallout from the Fitbit story: Secretary of Defense James Mattis is actively considering banning US military and civilian personnel from bringing their personal cell phones into the Pentagon, the world’s largest office building, according to three US defense officials familiar with an ongoing review of the issue. The officials told CNN that while the issue is under review and a …

The Huffington Post reports: According to a pre-decisional draft of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) obtained by HuffPost, Trump’s Department of Defense has gone a decidedly different route: new nukes, for no good reason. In October, NBC reported that President Trump had told a gathering of high-ranking national security leaders that “he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold …

Politico reports: In the face of growing scrutiny, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said the type of attack that killed four U.S. troops in Niger earlier this month was “considered unlikely” and pledged to release the findings of a Pentagon investigation “as rapidly” as possible. “I would just tell you that in this specific case contact was considered unlikely,” …

Politico reports: Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen said Friday that a Twitter announcement of the type President Donald Trump made this week banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military would have been enough for him to consider resigning. “I would have called the president, asked for a meeting with the president, and [said] ‘Mr. President, before you …

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis was caught off-guard by President Trump’s announcement that he was banning transgender people from serving in the military, according to a New York Times report. Mattis, who was on vacation at the time of Trump’s decision, only had one day’s worth of notice before Trump tweeted his announcement of the policy, the paper …

Via press release: The Defense Department is observing June as LGBT Pride Month to recognize DoD’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members and civilians. DoD Pride, an employee resource group, is hosting its annual celebration June 12 at the Pentagon. Tolerance and Justice “The struggles, sacrifices and successes among the LGBT community continue to shape our history and remind …

The Week recaps: “Look, there is nothing wrong with cuts in principle, but with budgets, as with haircuts, it’s where and how you cut that matters,” Oliver said. For example, you don’t slash the EPA, State Department, USAID, public broadcasting, and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities as a cost-cutting measure — together they make up 1.62 percent …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. is not ready to collaborate militarily with Russia, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday, appearing to close the door for now on any effort to work more closely with Moscow in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria. His blunt rejection came after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for increased intelligence cooperation with …

In a press release that name-checks pioneering gay activists Frank Kameny and Sgt. Leonard Matlovich, the Department of Defense celebrates LGBT Pride Month. They write: Diversity is one of our nation’s greatest strengths. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride month, we celebrate our rich diversity and renew our enduring commitment to equity. The dedication and contributions of our …

This seems like the right story to follow up a Star Wars post. CNN reports: The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, said it’s on track to demonstrate a working laser weapon on a fighter jet by 2020. “It really is a national tipping point,” said Kelly Hammett, chief engineer for the AFRL’s directed energy directorate. “We see the …

82 year-old Donald Hallman is among an estimated 114,000 men and women who were booted from the military over their homosexuality between WWII and the end of DADT. Hallman appeared on CNN yesterday to demand that his record be cleared of its “dishonorable” notation. The Dallas Morning News agrees in an editorial published today which supports a bill pending before …

“The Pentagon must answer whether this proposed policy makes our military more capable of performing its mission. The answer is a very clear and resounding no. This has everything to do with President Obama’s social agenda for the military, but it has nothing to do with enhancing military readiness. No new science has led to the Pentagon’s transgender study—only the …

The Pentagon is finalizing its plans to lift the ban on transgender service members. Via the Associated Press: An announcement is expected this week, and the services would have six months to assess the impact of the change and work out the details, the officials said Monday. Military chiefs wanted time to methodically work through the legal, medical and administrative …