Thousands of US troops prepare to deploy as Israel prepares Gaza invasion
As the Israel-Hamas war intensifies, the Pentagon announced 2,000 U.S. soldiers have been put on “prepare-to-deploy” notice to provide support for Israel in a non-combat role. U.S. defense officials say the troops are already stationed in the Middle East and in Europe, and they will be tasked with missions like providing medical support and advising Israeli troops.
More than a million Palestinian Gazans have left their homes as Israel’s military warned citizens Friday, Oct. 13, to evacuate as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops prepare for a ground invasion.
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, IDF announced on social media platform X that they killed Ayman Nofal, a senior Hamas operative, responsible for directing attacks against Israelis.
From Tel Aviv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Biden’s agenda.
“President Biden will again make clear, as he’s done unequivocally since Hamas slaughtered more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 Americans that Israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend its people from Hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks,” Blinken said in a news conference.
Blinken said Biden will focus on getting aid to Israel so it can defend itself against Hamas. The president will be briefed on Israel’s war plans and coordinate with Israeli partners to help secure the release of Hamas’ hostages, all while helping to get humanitarian aid into Gaza for the two million Palestinians living in the enclave.
On Monday, Hamas terrorists released video of one of their hostages: a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman named Mia Schem.
In the video, Mia said she went to a hospital in Gaza after suffering an arm injury and someone can be seen in the video wrapping her arm. Mia said she wants to go home to her parents and siblings as soon as possible. Her mother, Karen Schem, spoke about seeing a video of her daughter in captivity.
“She looks very terrified,” Karen said. “She looks like she’s in big pain. I can see that she’s saying what they tell her to say, but I can see that she’s stable. I can see that she needs medical care.”
No media outlets have been able to verify when and where the video of Mia was taken, or what condition she is in at this time.
Right now, it’s unclear how many hostages may be in Hamas’ custody. An IDF spokesperson said they believe Hamas kidnapped at least 199 people but the number could be higher.
Drone-hunting robot ‘tank’ could be US Army’s new workhorse
The United States is gearing up for a potential fight with China. For the Navy, Air Force and Marines, that mainly means robotic aircraft, boats and submersibles. For the U.S. Army, it’s robotic combat vehicles (RCVs) like the TRX SHORAD from General Dynamics Land Systems.
The TRX SHORAD is a diesel-electric hybrid tracked vehicle with short range air defense capabilities. It was recently named “Best New Product” at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual convention — and for good reason.
TRX stands for Tracked Robot 10-ton. It serves as the base chassis for a growing list of payloads. As the name implies, it weighs about 10 tons — significantly less than every main battle tank currently in use by world militaries. The TRX can be transported on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter or a C-130 airplane.
The TRX is also able to generate what GDLS describes as “exportable power.” Essentially, whatever power a payload may require, the TRX will be able to meet the need.
In the SHORAD variant, it’s armed with a 30 mm cannon and eight Stinger missiles. Stingers were originally designed as shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles. They are effective against helicopters, low-flying planes and drones. The 30 mm cannon will take care of smaller unmanned aerial systems, like the ones being used in Ukraine.
The TRX SHORAD can provide close air support for soldiers trying to operate in contested environments. The 30 mm cannon is also effective against enemy ground troops and some lightly armored vehicles.
GDLS said in a post on X that the “TRX SHORAD is designed to bring a new dimension of combat power in SHORAD battalions and provides autonomy within a tiered, layered air defense.”
The TRX boasts a class-leading 1:1 payload capacity ratio. So, aside from the SHORAD configuration, GDLS said the TRX can carry just about any configuration the Army wants.
For instance, a promotional video from GDLS shows a TRX configured to carry what appear to be 24 tube-launched Switchblade 600s made by AeroVironment. Switchblade 600s are precision strike loitering munitions, designed to take out tanks and other armored vehicles.
The TRX is one of four robotic platforms the Army is reviewing for its Robotic Combat Vehicle Competition. GDLS will submit two prototype variations of the TRX during Phase 1 of the open competition. The prototypes are scheduled to be delivered to the Army in August 2024.
“We are honored to have been chosen to continue to work with the Army on the Robotic Combat Vehicle program,” said GDLS Vice President and General Manager for U.S. Operations Gordon Stein. “TRX features innovative thinking, ranging from its AI-enhanced design to advanced, lightweight materials and a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Its power and size make it an ideal platform for multirole Human Machine Integration on today’s battlefield.”
In a similar fashion to how the Navy and Air Force want Collaborative Combat Aircraft to fly in formations with human pilots, the Army wants robotic vehicles to maneuver at speed with human soldiers as well, a concept called Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T).
Recently, the Army Science Board performed an independent analysis of the M1 Abrams tank and found it won’t be able to dominate the 2040 battlefield. The Army hopes smaller RCVs like the TRX can help the U.S. maintain its position as the world’s foremost land force.
World’s largest aircraft carrier to support Israel against Iran
Once again, Israel is at war, forced to fight for the protection of its citizens against an enemy that has explicitly stated it is hellbent on the nation’s destruction. And just as in previous wars, the fighting risks boiling over into a full-scale regional conflict.
Israel’s war against Hamas is already yielding gains. Hundreds of Hamas targets, including command centers and weapons depots, are already smoldering piles of rubble. Most of the fighting is focused in Israel’s south, along the Gaza border. But the Israel Defense Forces are also monitoring a potential second front in the war, this one with Hezbollah to the north. Israel said that suspected Hezbollah fighters have already launched mortar rounds.
To deter Israel’s other enemies from joining the fray, namely Iran, the United States deployed the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and a number of guided missile destroyers to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The Ford is the world’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier. The ship is longer than three football fields, is home to some 5,000 sailors, and carries a deck of warplanes capable of toppling governments.
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is sending support to the region, including F-35s, F-15s and F-16s. The USAF is also augmenting its A-10 Warthog fighter squadrons in the region. A-10s are great at close air support. The older craft is often described as a cannon with wings, and could experience a bit of a renaissance in the Middle East if called into action.
The added mass of warships, fighter jets and support craft are clearly a show of force. So far, the deterrent seems to be working. Iran isn’t mobilizing its forces against Israel.
But the relationship between Iran and its terrorist proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, is well-established. Iran gives money, weapons, and training to the terrorist groups. It’s why some in the West are accusing Iran of playing a central role in the recent attacks. After all, senior members from Hamas and Hezbollah said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Forces helped plan the attack.
The Wall Street Journal is also reporting that Iranian security officials green-lit the attacks during an in-person meeting the previous Monday.
The U.S., France, and other countries haven’t specifically blamed Iran for the attacks. Iran’s supreme leader denied his country had anything to do with the massacre of innocents, but celebrated it nonetheless.
Iran’s involvement aside, there’s also a claim that another familiar foe had a part in training Hamas: Russia’s Wagner Group.
Ukraine’s Center for National Resistance (CNR) said information out of Belarus shows that when Wagner fighters left the country earlier this year and traveled to Africa, it was to train Hamas fighters on how to use unmanned aerial systems on the battlefield. According to the CNR, of all Hamas’ allies, only Russia has the tools and battlefield experience to teach Hamas how to use drones to drop bombs on tanks or as guided artillery.
If this information proves true, it will bolster the argument that Russia and its allies in the Middle East are working to sow even more chaos in the world. To what end is up for debate. Russia may be trying to distract the world from its war in Ukraine. Or it could be working with other adversary nations to draw the U.S. into direct conflict.
Whatever the case may be, the attacks on Israeli civilians galvanized the Jewish state and its allies. In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. all expressed their “steadfast support for the State of Israel,” and the “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
The U.S. Central Command oversees troops and military operations in the Middle East, and the 5th Fleet includes naval forces operating in the Middle East.
The top Navy and Air Force officers are also waiting for Tuberville’s blockade to be lifted.
In the meantime, nominees are operating as placeholders until confirmations come through. The blockade does not impact military operations, but the number of members awaiting promotions has surpassed 300.
The war between Israel and Hamas is not moving Tuberville as he stands by his holdout.
While Tuberville could release his hold and allow the promotions single-handedly, the Senate can also bring up votes for military promotions, which it did in September, promoting three high-ranking officials.
Over the weekend of Oct. 7, Tuberville’s staff suggested the Senate do the same for other confirmations. Still, it’s unknown if that will be a priority when the Senate returns from recess on Oct. 16.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCAs, can help counter China
The United States Air Force is the oldest and smallest it’s ever been. A brewing conflict with China over the fates of Taiwan and the South China Sea is forcing the service to ramp up delivery on Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCAs.
Without CCAs, USAF leadership doesn’t know whether the service has the time, money, or people to put enough planes in the air to compete with and defeat China. At least not without losing too many pilots.
The problem is too big for the Air Force to solve alone. So, it’s collaborating with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and private industry to develop CCAs fully, from digital concepts to flying planes.
The XQ-58 Valkyrie from Kratos Defense was an early candidate into the CCA program. It’s also the only candidate, as of the date of publication, with any real-world flight time.
“So really, it is a fighter-like performance,” said Otis Winkler, the vice president of Corporate Development and National Security Programs for Kratos Defense. “If you want to think of [the Valkyrie] as an F-35 without a pilot in it, that’s what you’ve got.”
There are other CCA candidates in development as part of the Department of Defense’s open competition. The Air Force, Navy, and Marines agreed on four fundamentals to speed up development and delivery of the craft.
CCAs need to have common: • Aircraft architecture. • Autonomy architecture. • Communication links. • Ground-control segments.
Basically, the services want a standardized robotic plane that can take direction well, while also operating with and talking to other assets in the battle space. Initially, the “Loyal Wingmen,” as CCAs are also known, will be paired with F-35s and with the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter once it’s airborne.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he wants thousands of CCAs flying within the next five years.
“What we’re trying to get industry to do is to mature technology and be creative,” Kendall said. “And then demonstrate to us what kind of capability they can provide and why it’s cost effective. And that’s how we’re going to be selecting which ones we carry to the next phase of competition.”
Fury is a high-performance autonomous air vehicle concept being developed by Anduril.
The CCAs, like a lot of modern weaponry, are designed with modularity in mind; meaning you can trade out or upgrade sensors and software on the fly, depending on the mission. This disaggregation of components also helps keep costs down.
That’s the next major design feature. They’re supposed to be cheap enough to sacrifice, if necessary, but they also need to be beefy enough to carry out the missions.
“For me, that’s the challenge, right? Because anytime you’re doing something technical, from an engineering perspective, you pull on one thing, you typically lose something else. And so, you end up turning dials to find out where that sweet spot is,” Brig. Gen. Dale White said.
White oversees Fighters and Advanced Craft for the Air Force. He and other Air Force generals involved in the CCA program spoke during a media roundtable at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber 2023 conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
“If I had a choice to either lose an F-35 with a pilot, or lose an aircraft like a CCA, I’d rather lose the CCA. Those are the types of tradeoffs that are being enabled with the new technologies that are coming online that frankly, we couldn’t do before,” Niemi said.
For reference, a new F-35 costs more than $110 million. CCAs will need to cost considerably less for the program to be viable. Digital engineering and new manufacturing methods will help.
Aside from price, the next major challenge for CCAs is deciding how much decision-making power, or autonomy, to give them.
As Mike ‘Pako’ Benitez explained during a panel discussion at ASC 2023, “There is still no Department of Defense definition of ‘autonomy.’ We’ve been talking about CCA and autonomy for two years, still no definition.”
Benitez is an Air Force veteran and the director of product for Shield AI, a key player in the growing field of autonomous piloting.
“NATO has a definition [for autonomy],” Benitez said. “It basically says, ‘I have programmed the thing to do a mission within its constraints, and it can evolve and adapt in the environment without further intervention of a human.’”
Deciding how much autonomy to give CCAs isn’t easy, especially when lives are depending on their performance. Not to mention the very real fear many people have around creating AI-enabled weaponry.
In June, the internet was set ablaze when stories of an AI-agent killing its operator started surfacing. The incident turned out to just be part of a hypothetical thought experiment, but it did show just how charged of an issue this is.
With no formal definition from the Pentagon, Benitez and others in the field borrowed from the Society of Automotive Engineers when it came to distinguishing between levels of autonomy.
Levels range from zero to five. Zero being the lowest and five the highest. Level One is for basic assistance tasks, things like cruise control in your car. Level Two is partial automation, like a self-driving Tesla.
Levels Three and Four are where people should be thinking about CCAs, because that’s where “conditional” and “high” levels of autonomy come into play.
“I would argue, Level Three should be the minimum requirement,” Benitez said, “and Level Four is really what we should be shooting for, which is a mission based ‘Here’s your goals. Here’s your objectives. Here’s your risk within those constraints. Execute.’”
It’s unlikely any armed U.S.-owned CCA or AI-piloted device will ever reach Level Five. By law, the military needs to have a human in the kill-chain.
Of course, figuring out how much autonomy to give a robot plane, capable of carrying lethal payloads, depends on the types of sorties they’re to fly.
If there are at least two CCAs per pilot, like Secretary Kendall said, one could be a sensor carrier and the other could be a munitions mule. The former allows its human pilot to see targets beyond the horizon, the latter can deliver a killing blow without revealing the pilot’s position.
But how do you get a human pilot to put that much trust into a machine? According to Mike Benitez, it’s just like a radar.
“If a fighter pilot had never heard of the word ‘radar’, had never had any academics,” Benitez said, “and you gave them a screen and you go ‘Hey, you’re going to fly around and when these symbols show up on your screen, just trust us. There’s something there, it’s probably going to kill you. It may not, but you should probably do something about it.’
“How do you trust what’s on the screen is real? Well, you know because over the years you’ve been indoctrinated with training. You understand radar theory. You get some academics, and most importantly, you understand the capabilities, the limitations, and the attributes of that algorithm or that hardware and software.”
And there’s no place better to understand the capabilities and limitations of your wingman, than when flying with them, virtually or otherwise.
“I’m sure that when the operators start to fly with [CCAs] and work with them, and test them in different scenarios,” Gen. Niemi said. “It’ll be much clearer what the opportunities are that exist, and maybe some limitations. And then, we’ll react to it, as we have with every other platform.”
US fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 6, 2023
The U.S. military shot down an aircraft belonging to a NATO ally in an act of self-defense. And we take a few steps in learning more about the history of humans in America. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
U.S. fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone in Syria
A United States fighter jet shot down an armed Turkish drone flying near American troops stationed in Syria on Thursday, Oct. 5, the first time the U.S. has brought down an aircraft of a fellow NATO member.
Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder called the incident “regrettable” and said the U.S. troops went into bunkers for their safety.
“U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than half a kilometer from U.S. forces to be a potential threat and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time. It’s important to point out that no U.S. forces were injured during the incident. We have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces,” Ryder said.
U.S. officials say the F-16 shot down the drone after more than a dozen calls to Turkey military officials saying troops were on the ground and the U.S. military would take action if the drone did not leave the airspace.
Ryder said forces on the ground had seen drones doing airstrikes in the morning inside the area the U.S. declared a “restricted operating zone,” about a half mile from where troops were located.
About four hours later, a Turkish drone entered the zone again. After warnings went unanswered, Ryder said U.S. commanders on the ground took “quick action.”
A defense ministry official from Turkey said the drone did not belong to the Turkish armed forces.
America’s support of Kurdish forces in northern Syria has caused tension between Turkey and the U.S. Turkey views those forces as members of the militant Kurdish Workers Party.
This incident occurred on the same day a drone attack killed at least 80 people and injured 240 others during a military graduation in Syria. Syria’s military blamed insurgents for the attack but did not name any particular group.
Biden administration to restart deportation flights to Venezuela
As the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border continues to climb, the Biden administration announced another step to discourage that from happening. On the Oct. 5 edition of The Morning Rundown, we reported the administration was waiving 26 federal laws to make way for the construction of a border wall in Texas. Now, the U.S. announced immigration authorities will restart deportations to Venezuela immediately.
An official with the Biden administration said they would resume flights back to Venezuela to “show how we are committed to imposing consequences on those who cross the border unlawfully.”
Officials have not said how many flights to Venezuela the administration would operate or how many migrants are expected to be flown back.
The U.S. is facing record levels of migration of Venezuelans as hundreds of thousands look to reach America amid poor economic conditions and food shortages in their country. Officials say Venezuela has agreed to accept its nationals back.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status for 18 months for approximately 472,000 Venezuelans already living in the U.S. as of July 31.
Trump endorses Jordan to be next speaker of the House
With the House looking to vote on its next speaker in the upcoming days, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election has voiced his opinion. Former President Donald Trump says he is backing Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
In a post on his Truth Social site Thursday night, Trump said Jordan has “my complete and total endorsement.” In January 2021, Trump awarded Jordan the Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In his post, Trump spoke highly of Jordan’s college wrestling days and his degrees in law and education.
Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced their bids to fill the vacant seat after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed in a historic vote this week.
Some Republicans have suggested Trump himself be nominated for speaker of the House. While the speaker does not have to be a member of Congress, a non-member choice would be another first for the House.
A vote for speaker is expected next week.
NYC subway shooter sentenced to life in prison
A gunman who went by the moniker “Prophet of Doom” in online videos was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for opening fire on a New York City subway. The April 2022 attack left 10 people injured, ranging in age from 16 to 60.
The suspect, 64-year-old Frank James, disguised as a construction worker, was able to walk away from the mass shooting scene which set off a citywide manhunt. James was eventually arrested after calling a police tip line to turn himself in.
Prior to sentencing, three of the victims spoke out in court, with one saying, “I have not been able to make sense of it.”
Lawyers for James sought a reduced sentence citing mental illness. James, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges earlier this year said in court that he alone was responsible, while also criticizing the country’s mental health system.
The district court judge was not swayed and called James’ actions “pure evil.”
Chicken prices hit record highs just before holiday season
With Thanksgiving just over a month away, it’s common this time of the year to talk turkey, but today we’re talking chicken and the rising costs to buy it.
Chicken prices in grocery stores have hit record highs. While that’s good news for top producers like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, two companies who have dialed back their poultry production to improve earnings, it means more money coming out of the wallets of hungry shoppers. All at a time when consumers, weary of inflation, are turning away from pricier meats.
Beef consumption is forecast to be at its lowest level since 2018. Pork consumption is currently at its lowest since 2015.
The Department of Agriculture says U.S. consumption of chicken is expected to exceed 100 pounds per person this year for the first time ever.
Researchers provide new evidence of first signs of humans in America
American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said the phrase ‘one small step for man’ as he stepped onto the moon in 1969. As for the actual first steps of man in the United States, that occurred much earlier, and new research is suggesting exactly when.
Footprints discovered at an ancient lakebed in White Sands National Park in New Mexico likely date back to somewhere between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, according to research published Thursday in the journal ‘Science.’
The age of the footprints was first reported in 2021, but some researchers were not convinced. They debated the original dating method may not have been accurate. In this latest study, scientists used two new additional lines of evidence to support the date range.
The dates challenge what most have believed — that humans didn’t reach the Americas until about 15,000 years ago. Researchers are hoping these findings are a big step in learning more about how humans lived many, many years ago.
Over the next 90 days, the Army will begin implementing some of the changes to its recruiting strategy, but the wholesale overhaul of the department will take years.
One of the most significant changes the Army will rely on is forming of a professional group of recruiters as opposed to random soldiers assigned the task. The Army will use an aptitude test to identify soldiers with the greatest potential to be successful recruiters.
The Army has long relied on high school seniors or graduates to enlist and meet its recruiting goals. Still, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told the Associated Press it is time for the Army to start reaching beyond that pool of recruits and start looking for applicants on job boards, like ZipRecruiter or Indeed.
“The vast majority of people who are out there making employment decisions are people who have more than a high school education,” Wormuth told the AP. “We need to figure out how to talk to that much broader labor market.”
As more tech roles in the military are becoming available working with computers, satellites, and artificial intelligence, Wormuth said the Army hopes to recruit more young professionals.
Wormuth added the Army is not abandoning the high school market “by any means,” but the hope is by the year 2028 that, one-third of recruits will have more than a high school diploma, rather than the one-fifth currently.
The Navy and Air Force fell short of recruiting goals for the fiscal year that ended Saturday as well, though according to officials, both branches outperformed early predictions. Marine Corps and Space Force officials said both branches would meet enlistment goals.
New US Air Force training jet Red Hawk augments reality
The United States Air Force needs more pilots to fly its jets and bombers. But some turbulence in the training pipeline means the Air Force will miss its target for new aviators once again.
It’s a frustrating situation for the USAF. The service is already having problems recruiting new people to be pilots, and now it’s having problems training the people it already has in the pipeline.
The Air Force wanted to train 1,470 pilots in fiscal year 2023, but instead will finish 120 pilots short of the goal. Meanwhile, around 900 future Air Force pilots are waiting for classroom space to clear.
For the most part, the Air Force currently relies on a fleet of T-38 Talons to train new jet jockeys. The Talons took to the skies starting in the 1960s, and the fleet lost a few birds along the way. A series of recent engine problems means they’re also flying fewer hours.
Thankfully for the Air Force, a new raptor is now airborne: the T-7A Red Hawk. The new training aircraft is the first to be designed in the 21st century. There were several delays in developing the Red Hawk, including problems with the jet’s ejection seat. But in early September, the Air Force took delivery of its first Red Hawk and will now subject the aircraft to its own rigorous flight testing.
The Red Hawk sports a glass cockpit and stadium seating for two. The single-engine aircraft features a modular design said to be focused on the maintainers. Red Hawks are also home to a nest of digital integrations that will all help train the next generation of American fighter and bomber pilots.
Boeing won the $9.2 billion contract back in 2018 to supply the USAF with around 350 Red Hawks. Last year, the company partnered with Red 6 to make sure the training will be commensurate with the craft.
Red 6 is a defense industry startup that has created what it calls the advanced tactical augmented reality system, or ATARS. The system uses an enhanced visual environment headset to deliver an augmented reality experience. So, whether it’s performing a roll, refueling, engaging enemy aircraft, or evading enemy air defenses, ATARS can create the proper training scenario and project the virtual images into the pilot’s actual field of vision.
“This is the future of joint training, combined training and coalition training,” said Tom Ferguson, president and COO of Red 6.
Ferguson and other leaders from Boeing and Red 6 celebrated the one-year milestone of their partnership at the AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber 2023 conference held in National Harbor, Maryland.
“Training has always been a strategic advantage that the United States has had,” Ferguson said. “But we can’t take it for granted. Because we’ve been able to out train our enemies and potential enemies, when we get to combat it’s actually easier than your training.”
In combination with ATARS, Red 6 also designed a system it calls ARCADE, which allows pilots and instructors to build complex virtual environments and collect data from all the missions performed in those environments. That data can then be used to create more impactful training.
“It’s all about learning from every mistake and making every flight better, like we’ve done in all of our training here in the United States.” Ferguson said. “So that ultimately, no matter who we go up against we can fly, fight and win.”
The Air Force had hoped to be flying its full fleet of Red Hawks in 2025, but delays set that delivery date back to 2027.
Pentagon explains how government shutdown would impact defense
Efforts to approve military and government funding are at a standstill in Congress. The House failed to approve the rules for debate on a bill to fund the military twice — lawmakers didn’t even get to the final vote.
A small group of the chamber’s most conservative Republicans banned together to stop the bill from advancing.
“This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down. It doesn’t work,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters.
The Pentagon does not insert itself into politics. Military and civilian officials don’t like to comment on ongoing negotiations, but they aren’t afraid to explain how a government shutdown or continuing resolution will impact them.
“Many of us have been through shutdowns. They are extremely damaging to our readiness, retention and morale,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
Kendall had a request for Congress.
“Do not put us under a continuing resolution for the first quarter of the fiscal year. Now the ship may have sailed on this request, but CRs of any length are hugely inefficient and delay much needed modernization,” Kendall said.
Kendall said the military could manage a short-term continuing resolution, but anything beyond December would do serious damage to national security. In particular, it would delay funding the Pentagon needs to advance programs meant to deter adversaries including China, Russia and Iran.
The 2024 Defense Authorization Act also authorizes the improvement and replacement of barracks that are low quality in an attempt to improve morale and retention. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that some military barracks had sewage overflows in bathrooms, mold and cracked pipes.
Watchdog: US troops living in unsafe barracks with sewage, methane gas, filth
A government watchdog has announced its findings after studying the living conditions in U.S. military barracks, a concern it said goes back decades. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) began looking into the Department of Defense’s housing management after reports of poor living conditions in barracks surfaced.
According to the report released Tuesday, Sept. 19, The GAO found that the Department of Defense does not reliably assess living conditions, and some barracks “pose potentially serious health and safety risks.”
According to officials, thousands of U.S. service members live in substandard living conditions. The 118-page report details a slew of issues, including broken fire systems, black mold, sewage, squatters, poor water quality and pests.
“One installation we visited in October 2022 had recently closed barracks due to legionella bacteria found in the building plumbing systems — an issue that has been challenging to remediate, according to officials,” the report read.
In some instances, the watchdog reported the smell of methane gas seeping through aging sewage pipes that routinely crack and need to be replaced.
The investigation also found that at one installation, “service members are responsible for cleaning biological waste that may remain in a barracks room after a suicide.”
In the report, the GAO says that the Department of Defense does not have complete funding information, adding that the DOD requested around $15 billion for facility sustainment for 2024. However, according to the report, the department “could not identify” how much of that money would be spent on barracks, or how much has been spent on housing allowances for service members who didn’t live in the barracks due to poor living conditions.
These findings come after the GAO examined and analyzed DOD policies and budgets, conducted interviews with DOD housing officials, and toured barracks at military bases in Texas, California, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
The Government Accountability Office has given the DOD 31 recommendations to remedy the poor living conditions in which thousands of service members preside. All 31 recommendations are listed as “open,” meaning action has not yet been taken.
