USAF Racial Inequality Town Hall | Military Responds to Nationwide Protests

June 3, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory and John A. Tirpak

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright take part in a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Oct. 24, 2019, at the Pentagon. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya.

Goldfein on Racial Unrest: ‘We Will Not Shy Away from This’

By Brian W. Everstine

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright will meet virtually with Airmen for two hours June 3 to discuss how the service will move forward to address racial inequality, as civil unrest continues to spread across the country. Goldfein, in a June 2 letter to wing commanders, wrote that the Memorial Day death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police “is a national tragedy.” He added, “Every American should be outraged that the conduct exhibited by police in Minneapolis can still happen in 2020. We all wish it were not possible for racism to occur in America.”

Lawmakers Uneasy Deploying Active Military to Quell Protests

By Rachel S. Cohen

Military troops on June 2 continued to respond to nationwide protests over George Floyd’s death, as some lawmakers raised concerns about the prospect of sending in Active-duty service members. The death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody May 25 after asphyxiation by a white officer, has sparked widespread protests over police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. President Donald Trump on June 1 indicated he could direct Active-duty troops to cities roiled by the protests if states don’t fully deploy their National Guard units to quell civil unrest. Some lawmakers appear split over how to respond to the possibility of calling in Active-duty troops under the 1807 Insurrection Act. That federal law allows the Commander in Chief to deploy military troops within the U.S. in certain circumstances, like uprisings.

U.S. COVID-19 Response Threatens Allies’ Confidence in Its Leadership

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The United States’ reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic is feeding partners’ and allies’ fears that the U.S. “is no longer willing to play a leadership role” amid international crises and opening the door for enemies and competitors, alike, to challenge its dedication, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy said during the opening session of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ third-annual Future Strategy Forum on June 2. Flournoy said the nation’s hesitance to “step up and step in to orchestrate an international, collaborative response that included everyone”—as it did during the Ebola crisis—has egged on these concerns. "It sort of invites adversaries or competitors to test the limits of U.S. resolve and commitment as we've seen Russia do repeatedly in the Middle East, for example, or ... China in the South China Sea," she said. "So it's a really dangerous situation where we've created a vacuum that is sort of strengthening others with interests antithetical to our own."

Lockheed to Retrofit F-35s for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses Role

By John A. Tirpak

The Navy on June 1 awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to upgrade the F-35's Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD) capabilities. The contract provides $26.7 million to engineer changes to the F-35 for the "full up" mission, presumably to add weapons and/or new sensors to the jet.

Idaho Guard A-10s Deploy for Operations in Middle East, Africa

By Brian W. Everstine

A-10s and about 400 Airmen with the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing recently deployed to the Middle East for ongoing operations there, and to serve as a quick reaction force if needed in Africa. The deployment is the wing’s second-largest movement ever, including pilots, security forces, maintainers, medical personnel, special warfare tactical air control party, and other support staff deployed to an undisclosed location for Operations Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, and New Normal—a U.S. Africa Command mission created after the 2012 attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to a June 1 wing release.

Virtual Events: Mitchell Institute Rolls Out Policy Paper, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today at 10 a.m. EDT, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a webinar to unveil its newest policy paper, "Modernizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Export Policy for Effective Coalition Forces." Advanced registration is required, and a replay will tentatively be posted on the think tank's website. And at 1 p.m. EDT he Center for Strategic and International Studies will also host a panel entitled "Covid-19 and Grand Strategy" as part of its "Future Strategy Forum: Cooperation and Conflict in the Time of Covid-19." Viewers can post live questions here, and register for or watch a livestream of the event here.

Radar Sweep

Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Air Force Magazine

Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pentagon Taps $688 Million in Coronavirus Aid for Defense Industry

Defense News

The $688 million defense-industrial base fund is just one category within the $10.5 billion the Department of Defense received from Congress’ $2.1 trillion CARES Act package. The department submitted its 54-page spending plan to Congress on May 29 amid pressure from lawmakers after DOD had spent only 23 percent of that money weeks after it was signed into law in late March.

Putin Signs Russia’s Nuclear Deterrent Policy

The Associated Press

President Vladimir Putin on June 2 endorsed Russia’s nuclear deterrent policy, which allows him to use atomic weapons in response to a conventional strike targeting the nation’s critical government and military infrastructure. By including a non-nuclear attack as a possible trigger for Russian nuclear retaliation, the document appears to send a warning signal to the U.S. The new expanded wording reflects Russian concerns about the development of prospective weapons that could give Washington the capability to knock out key military assets and government facilities without resorting to atomic weapons.

SOCOM Looking to Bake in AI Requirements on Every New Program

Breaking Defense

Special Operations Command is in a “war for influence” with adversaires from non-state groups to state-funded information operations, the command’s top general said recently, and is rushing to fund artificial intelligence and machine learning programs to find an edge.

Department of Defense Announces Tour Length Change for the Middle East

DOD release

The Defense Department changed the current overseas tour length for DOD military personnel under COCOM (Title 10) authority assigned to permanent duty locations in the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq.

800th RED HORSE Group Activated under Ninth Air Force

Air Force release

The 819th RED HORSE Squadron located at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; the 820th RED HORSE Squadron located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; and the 823rd Red Horse Squadron located at Hurlburt Field, Fla. comprise the new group nested under Ninth Air Force.

Air Force Picks 27 Firms for $950M Joint All-Domain C2 Support IDIQ

GovCon Wire

The U.S. Air Force has awarded 27 companies spots on a potential five-year, $950M contract to develop and operate systems across ground, air, maritime, space, electromagnetic spectrum, and cyber domains in support of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control program.

Joint Chiefs Vision Changes Military Education Philosophy

Defense Department release

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have released their vision and guidance for officer professional military education, calling for a change in philosophy and tightly tying performance to assignments.

One More Thing

DARPA Declares War on Jet Lag, Other Travel Woes

National Defense Magazine

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has kicked off a hunt for new technologies aimed at combating travel-associated problems faced by warfighters and civilians on-the-go. The effort could facilitate treatments for a wide range of health issues, according to the project leader.