Latest U.S. Department of Defense News
Drag shows on US military bases canceled by Pentagon after Republican criticism
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration has stopped U.S. military bases from hosting drag shows after criticism from some Republicans, amid a broader push in conservative-led states targeting LGBTQ+ celebrations. Hosting drag shows is “inconsistent with...
Biden approves a new $300M military aid package for Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a new package of military aid for Ukraine that totals up to $300 million and includes additional munitions for drones and an array of other weapons. It comes as Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine’s capital and unmanned aircraft have...
Wisconsin legislators consider bills tightening prohibitions on National Guard sex assaults
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Lawmakers are considering a package of legislation that would tighten prohibitions on sexual assault within the Wisconsin National Guard after a scathing federal report found commanders had for years been flouting federal requirements for handling complaints. A...
Insider Q&A: Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in military tech
Josh Lospinoso’s first cybersecurity startup was acquired in 2017 by Raytheon/Forcepoint.. His second, Shift5, works with the U.S. military, rail operators and airlines including JetBlue. A 2009 West Point grad and Rhodes Scholar, the 36-year-old former Army captain spent more than a decade...
Pentagon says allies will unite to train Ukrainians on F-16s, but warns jets aren't 'magic weapons'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that European allies are developing a coordinated program to train Ukrainian forces on the F-16 fighter jet, but Pentagon leaders warned that it will be a costly and complex task and won't be a magic solution to the war. ...
Air Force fighter pilot tapped by Biden to be next Joint Chiefs chairman has history of firsts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force fighter pilot tapped to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff got his call sign by ejecting from a burning F-16 fighter jet high above the Florida Everglades and falling into the watery sludge below. It was January 1991, and then-Capt....
Navy SEALs training plagued by pervasive problems, according to investigation after death of sailor
WASHINGTON (AP) — The training program for Navy SEALs is plagued by widespread failures in medical care, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos, according to an investigation triggered...
Biden picks history-making Air Force fighter pilot to serve as next Joint Chiefs chairman
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that he is tapping Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a history-making fighter pilot with deep knowledge of China, to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown's confirmation would mean that, for the first time,...
$3 billion accounting error means the Pentagon can send more weapons to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money. ...
Army officially designates Fort Moore, dropping Confederate name Benning
FORT MOORE, Ga. (AP) — The Army's training hub in Georgia was renamed Fort Moore during a ceremony Thursday, replacing the name of a Confederate officer that had adorned the base for more than a century with that of a decorated Vietnam War commander and his wife. The name change...
