President Donald Trump formally revived US Space Command to oversee daily space operations in an Aug. 29 White House ceremony, the most recent step in the federal government’s overhaul of military space organizations. “The dangers to our country constantly evolve, and so must we,” Trump said. “Now, those who wish to harm the United States, to seek to challenge us in the ultimate high ground of space, it’s going to be a whole different ball game.” But as the 11th unified combatant command gets to work, questions about how many people it will employ, where its permanent headquarters will sit, and which responsibilities it will take on and when remain unanswered. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

Air Force bases across Florida are preparing for Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall over Labor Day weekend as a Category 4 storm. The National Hurricane Center on Aug. 29 said there’s an “increasing likelihood of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Florida east coast,” and that the risk of devastating winds continues to grow. It is too soon to say where the worst effects will be felt. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters Aug. 28 he’s not ready to say that recent US-Iran tensions have subsided, but that the Pentagon is holding out hope for diplomatic talks. “I'm not sure I'm ready to call the crisis over yet, but so far so good,” he said at a press briefing. “We hope the trend lines continue that way. We hope that the parties, that the Iranians would agree to … meet and talk and help us resolve these issues.” In the past few months, the US has declared Iran and its paramilitary arm responsible for attacking ships, seizing oil tankers, and downing a Navy MQ-4. Operation Sentinel, a multinational maritime effort to boost surveillance and security in the region’s waters, is now underway, Esper said. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

The US and Turkey are now working out of a “coordination center” in the Turkish capital of Ankara to manage potential conflict along the country’s border with Syria, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford said Aug. 28. “This was set up in the recent days—United States European Command, Central Command, Turkish General Staff are now in a coordination center inside of Ankara,” Dunford told reporters at a Pentagon press briefing. “We've also made agreements to immediately address some of the threats along the border between Turkey and Syria, removal of heavy weapons and those kind of things.” Officials in the coordination center are working out the specifics of joint border patrols as part of a deal struck between the US and Turkey for a “safe zone” in northeastern Syria that would move US-aligned Syrian Kurdish militias away from Turkey. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

The Pentagon will put out a new annual report on military suicide beginning this year, Defense Suicide Prevention Office Director Karin Orvis said Aug. 27. The inaugural report, due out this fall, will detail data on suicide incidents among troops and their family members that occurred in 2018, according to the Defense Department. The announcement comes as Air Force wings are pausing operations for a day to address suicide within their ranks, as directed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright on Aug. 1. Read the full story by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory.

A B-2 recently landed in Iceland for the first time, conducting hot-pit refueling at an Icelandic Coast Guard base that has hosted US aircraft for decades to keep a close eye on the Arctic. The B-2 touched down at Keflavik AB on Aug. 28, where it refueled without the engines shutting down, according to an Aug. 29 US Air Forces in Europe release. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.

The Pentagon would consider allowing Turkey to rejoin the F-35 program only if the Russian-made S-400 air defense system is completely removed from Turkish soil, meaning the government in Ankara could not simply keep the systems deactivated in warehouses, the Pentagon’s top official said Aug. 28. Defense News