Creating Global Norms for AI | Thousands of Troops to Leave Iraq

Sept. 10, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine, John A. Tirpak and Shaun Waterman

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper speaks at the DOD Artificial Intelligence Symposium on Sept. 9, 2020. DVIDS video screenshot.

DOD Pushes Ahead on Training, Global Norms for Artificial Intelligence

By Rachel S. Cohen

Two years after creating the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center to jumpstart AI development, the Defense Department is increasingly looking at how to train people to use that technology. The Pentagon is working on an overarching strategy to educate all DOD personnel on how AI could factor into everything from business and human resources software to combat systems, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Sept. 9 at an AI symposium run by the department. The Pentagon is launching multiple other education and global outreach initiatives to familiarize people with responsible development and ethical use of a game-changing technology.

U.S. Military to Pull 2,000-Plus Forces from Iraq

By Brian W. Everstine

The U.S. military plans to withdraw more than 2,000 troops from Iraq this month, leaving about 3,200 troops in the country to continue advising Iraqi forces and targeting the remnants of the Islamic State group. U.S. Central Command boss Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., speaking in Baghdad, said the move comes as Iraqi forces have made “great progress.” McKenzie did not clarify if the troops would return home or shift to other bases within the area of responsibility. “This reduced footprint allows us to continue advising and assisting our Iraqi partners in rooting out the final remnants of ISIS in Iraq and ensuring its enduring defeat,” McKenzie said.

Thornberry Expects NDAA Conference Report After Election

By Brian W. Everstine

The House and Senate fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act conference report is not likely to come together until after November’s election, once intense political rivalries subside, the House Armed Services Committee’s ranking member said. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) told the Defense News Conference on Sept. 9 that even though the House version was unanimously passed in committee and received a “strong” vote on the floor, its differences will not be worked out for months because of “the times we are living in.” Thornberry pointed to the provision in the House bill and Senate bills that would require the Pentagon to rename bases that bear the names of Confederate leaders, a measure President Donald J. Trump has said he would veto and one Thornberry acknowledged comes with highly partisan emotions. “I don’t know how that will come out in conference, but I do think we are in a time where neither party is rewarded for compromise and coming together and getting things done,” Thornberry said.

Space Force Fleshing Out Plans for Satellite Communications Use

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force is drawing up a strategy for its satellite communications enterprise that will govern how it uses a growing array of military and commercial technologies to connect the armed forces. As space assets become a greater priority in the Joint Force, officials want to ensure satellite signals and hardware can weather electronic and physical attacks to continue getting messages through. A new strategy would build on the SATCOM vision paper released earlier this year.

Lord: COVID-19 ‘Hit’ on Defense Industry Still to Come

By John A. Tirpak

Industry moves to mitigate the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic mean the full impact has yet to be felt, Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief Ellen M. Lord said Sept. 9 at a Defense News virtual conference. Reduced efforts over the past six months will soon be felt in missed deliveries and progress payments, and the Pentagon wants to collect all these impacts and consider them wholesale before providing up to $20 billion in mitigation assistance sometime in early 2021, Lord reported.

Air Force Must Change the Way It Thinks to Win New Age of Information Wars

By Shaun Waterman

The Air Force has to change the way it thinks, trains, and ultimately fights, including shedding a “geographical mindset,” to win the new wars of the information age and maximize the value of combining cyber capabilities, electromagnetic warfare, and information operations. That was the takeaway from a pair of panels featuring service leaders at this week’s Billington Cybersecurity Summit.

Virtual Events: AFA’s Virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Air Force Association’s virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference kicks off Sept. 14 with Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett and Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. The annual conference, which will be held virtually this year for the first time, runs through Sept. 16. Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond speaks on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Conference attendance is free for military members and defense civilians, and rates for industry participants are discounted for AFA members (and from traditional rates for in-person participants). Registration is open now and space is limited, so early sign-ups are encouraged.

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.

Half of Troops See Coronavirus as a Major Threat for the Military: Poll

Military Times

About half of Active-duty troops surveyed in the latest Military Times Poll believe the ongoing coronavirus pandemic represents a significant threat to military readiness and operations, but respondents were split over whether service leaders have done enough to respond to the problem.

Defense Innovation Board to Discuss Autonomous Systems, Software in Rescheduled Meeting

Inside Defense

The Defense Innovation Board will meet next week to discuss recommendations on autonomous systems testing, as well as the Defense Department's progress in training software acquisition professionals, according to a Federal Register notice.

Lawmakers Cautiously Optimistic about Creation of National Cyber Director

Federal News Network

The position—which has support from both Democrats and Republicans and is the brainchild of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission—would serve as the principal advisor to the president on cybersecurity strategy and policy. The role would also consult with federal departments to develop the U.S. national cyber strategy and supervise its implementation.

Mercury Introduces First in Family of Trusted, Secure System-in-Package Products

Mercury Systems release

“Late last year we announced a strategic investment in our custom microelectronics capabilities in support of the DOD’s mandate for trusted microelectronics and to make commercial technology profoundly more accessible to aerospace and defense,” said Tom Smelker, vice president and general manager, Microsystems. “Our customizable RFS1080 RF SiP is the first generally available output from that investment, delivering high-speed RF processing in a compact, rugged package as well as providing customers with a trusted supply of highly integrated processing modules. Through Innovation That Matters®, Mercury Systems is uniquely capable of providing solutions from chip scale to system scale.”

The Navy Is Preparing for a Major Unmanned Battle Test in the Pacific

Military.com

The Navy will deploy drones that operate in the air, underwater, and on the surface to the Pacific next year in a big test of how the service can incorporate unmanned technology into combat situations.

From Racism to Russia, Top General Says Army Must Change

Defense One

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville addressed the nation’s internal unrest, trust of the military, even QAnon, in a wide-ranging interview with Defense One.

The Latest on JADC2

Air Force Magazine

Joint all-domain command and control is redefining how the U.S. military will operate in the future joint fight—and how systems must be designed today. For the latest on all things JADC2 and to stay tuned to the latest developments, check out our JADC2 landing page.

How One Airman’s Experiences Gave Birth to New Policy on Maternity Uniforms

Air Force Times

When Senior Master Sgt. Genevieve, superintendent of the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron, 926th Wing, became pregnant in 2018, she discovered a problem: Maternity uniforms were in short supply both online and in stores. Genevieve, whose last name has been omitted due to security concerns related to her job and mission, refused to accept the typical solution: wearing tennis shoes and a physical training uniform in lieu of an Occupational Camouflage Pattern uniform. And wearing a uniform several sizes too big was not a viable solution either.

Veterans’ Experiences with VA’s Health Care System Improve

Nextgov

The Veterans Affairs Department offered better experiences than community-based care except when it comes to access to care, according to a recent study.

NGA, Department of Defense Launch Initiative to Unlock Economic Potential of Defense Assets

National Governors Association release

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices will work with the Defense Department Office of Economic Adjustment to help states develop and execute strategic, evidence-based action plans for promoting a resilient national defense industry, economic vitality, and increased resiliency within the defense industrial base. Through seven reports and topical and regional workshops in 2020 and 2021, NGA and OEA will provide policy analysis and guidance on how state and territorial leaders can enhance their role in national defense while realizing the economic benefits of a vibrant, resilient defense sector.

Major General Charles Bolden Honored with 2020 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy

National Aeronautic Association release

The National Aeronautic Association is pleased to announce that retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for … “his impassioned commitment to public service in aviation and aerospace as an aviator, astronaut, and leader and his dedication to excellence for the advancement of all humanity.”

One More Thing

This Remote Base With A Massive Runway Looks To Be Where China's Secretive Spacecraft Landed

The Drive

The craft, which is thought to be a spaceplane designed to land on a traditional runway, also appears to have launched a small payload into orbit.