SASC Likely to Maintain Status Quo | Few Surprises in HASC Races

Nov. 5, 2020

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

Navy Adm. Charles Richard, commander of United States Strategic Command, and Air Force Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, testify on the review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2021 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Feb. 13, 2020. Army photo by Spc. Zachery Perkins.

SASC’s Future Comes into View Amid Nail-Biter Election

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Senate Armed Services Committee appears likely to maintain its status quo, as the prospect of Democratic control of the Senate has dimmed after Election Day. SASC Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) won reelection by wide margins on Nov. 3. That positions Inhofe to begin his first full term as committee chairman, after taking over when Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain died in 2018. The GOP’s path to retaining control of the Senate runs through the chamber’s military affairs panel. Eight of the 14 Republicans and three of the 13 Democrats who sit on SASC are up for reelection this year.

Most HASC Members Reelected to Another Term

By Rachel S. Cohen

The House Armed Services Committee next year will be shaped not only by which members win reelection this week, but also by the members who won’t return and a potential ally in the White House. HASC leadership will remain largely intact, while Republicans will see the most turnover on the committee. Democrats are expected to retain control of the House with a slimmer majority.

Fourth- and Fifth-Gen Fighters Participate in Tyndall’s Checkered Flag

By Brian W. Everstine

About 80 aircraft have come together for Checkered Flag 21-1—a large-scale, air-to-air exercise off the coast of Florida. The exercise, which focuses on integrating fourth- and fifth-generation fighters in several scenarios, runs until Nov. 14 at Tyndall Air Force Base. Participating aircraft include Tyndall’s F-22s and T-38s; F-22s from the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; F-35s from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; F-15Es from the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; California Air National Guard's F-15s; and F/A-18s from Strike Fighter Wing Pacific at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., according to Tyndall.

AFJROTC Flight Academy Returning After COVID-19 Hiatus

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Flight Academy—which lets qualifying youth become certified as private pilots and start their collegiate studies for free—is returning in 2021 after a pandemic-induced hiatus, according to a Nov. 2 release. AFJROTC high school cadets who will be at least 17 years old by July 9, 2021, and who have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, may apply for a spot by Nov. 25. “Cadets must be in good standing in their unit, take an Air Force aviation aptitude test, provide instructor and school endorsements, and must have a strong interest in aviation and a ‘never-quit’ attitude,” the program’s web page adds.

Esper OKs PT Gear in Commissaries, Exchanges

By Brian W. Everstine

Troops can now wear their physical fitness clothing inside base commissaries and exchanges, according to a memorandum from Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper released this week.

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 Scientists Seek Device to Detect COVID-19 in the Air

Nextgov

The U.S. has been fighting the novel coronavirus from a defensive posture—wearing masks, quarantining, and testing, and contact tracing when symptoms arise, at best. But the Defense Department’s team of mad scientists want to know if they can detect COVID-19 in the air and proactively tell people to avoid a specific location.

There Are Still Tens of Thousands of Military Absentee Ballots Yet to Be Counted

Military Times

Military and overseas citizens' ballots are still coming in. Will they make a difference?

Here’s How the Pentagon Will Test Industry’s Counter-Drone Tech for an Enduring Capability

Defense News

Beginning early next year, the Pentagon will host the first opportunity for industry to demonstrate counter-drone technology aimed at small systems, the next step in a plan to test out new capabilities twice a year at common test ranges, according to Army officials in charge of the effort.

Tax Breaks Coming to Some Vets, Surviving Spouses in These 3 States

Military.com

While many races from the Nov. 3 elections remained too close to call hours after the polls closed, voters in three states moved decisively to approve measures aimed at offering support and appreciation—in the form of tax breaks—to veterans.

AFRL’s Newest Lab Aims at Building Things in Space

Breaking Defense

One of the first projects the new DeSel lab will work on is testing structures for a futuristic capability that could be enabled by on-orbit assembly and manufacturing: space-based solar power.

Bushwhacker: Southwest Desert Training Preps Rescue Airmen for Austere Environments

Air Force Times

The 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., this week has launched a training exercise to prepare rescue personnel to respond in deserts or other austere battlefields.

MIT Lincoln Lab's Storied 707 Military Testbed Jet Is Now at the Boneyard

The Drive

For almost 30 years, the aircraft supported a wide variety of radar, communications, and other flight test programs in cooperation with the Air Force.

One More Thing

Behold the Glory of the CSAF’s Very Own BBQ Brisket Recipe

Task & Purpose

What’s 24 years old, made of metal, smokes a lot, and is expertly operated by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown Jr.? No, it’s not an F-16 fighter jet: it’s a side fire box smoker that Brown has used to barbeque countless tasty meals when he’s not planning the future of American airpower.