Feb. 16, 2021

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DOD Now Deploying 4,700 Troops for National Vaccination Drive

The Pentagon is readying around 4,700 Active-duty forces to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency at coronavirus vaccination sites nationwide, expanding the military's role in pandemic-response efforts. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is directing more than a four-fold increase in the number of troops headed to help vaccinate the general public, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Feb. 12. The original plan involved five 222-person teams, but is now spiking to 25 total teams who will deploy in the near future.


Members Named to Panel Scrubbing Confederate Icons from DOD

Defense Department and congressional leaders on Feb. 12 named eight people to the bipartisan commission tasked with renaming bases and other military property that bear the names of Confederate leaders. The panel was created in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The eight members of the commission include former high-ranking military officials, along with a business leader, a congressman, and the secretary of the Smithsonian.

Air Force Warfare Center Leadership Moves Among Dozens Announced

More than three dozen Air Force officials are headed to new postings at the Pentagon and around the world, the Defense Department announced Feb. 12. At the highest level, Maj. Gen. Charles S. Corcoran will leave his job as head of the Air Force Warfare Center in Nevada to serve as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at USAF headquarters in the Pentagon. Major commands, numbered Air Forces, and operational wings will see leadership shifts as well.


Americans and Israelis Team Up for Missile Defense Practice

U.S. and Israeli troops are practicing ballistic missile defense and collaborative crisis response as part of exercise Juniper Falcon 2021, U.S. European Command told Air Force Magazine Feb. 10. Approximately 300 Defense Department representatives, including American Airmen, are taking part in the two-week-long exercise that began Jan. 31.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 16

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.


Virtual Events: AFSOC’s Slife on Mitchell Institute’s ‘Aerospace Nation’

On Feb. 16, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host Lt. Gen. James C. Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, on the next installment of its virtual “Aerospace Nation” series. The event discussion will cover AFSOC's priorities for the year, the development of emerging technologies for special operations, and the implementation of AFSOC's Strategic Guidance. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.

 
 

Radar Sweep

 

In Wake of PT Deaths, Air Force Study Probes Link Between Sickle Cell and Extreme Exertion

Military.com

For service members who develop exertional rhabdomyolysis, having sickle cell trait does not necessarily equate to increased risk for complications or long-term health problems, a new Air Force study has found.


Only a Tiny Fraction of Sexual Assaults Against DOD Civilians Are Being Documented, GAO Says

Defense One

Over a recent half-decade, the Defense Department recorded 357 cases of sexual assaults that involved civilian employees. But a survey of employees indicated that thousands may have occurred.


Operational Comms, Missile Tracking Sats Up in 2024: SDA

Breaking Defense

The next group of satellites, "Tranche 1 is going to be a big deal," says Space Development Agency Director Derek M. Tournear, ensuring troops have "persistent regional access" to comms and missile warning/tracking data.


Space Force Begins Adding Cyber Warriors

C4ISRNET

The Space Force is getting its first cyber warriors, transferring cyber personnel from the Air Force into its ranks to protect sensitive systems and missions.


JAIC Seeks Test and Evaluation Services for Artificial Intelligence

Nextgov

A Joint Artificial Intelligence Center request for proposal is the first of two contracts designed to get Defense Department components ready to adopt AI technologies.



Sen. Jon Tester Takes Defense Appropriations Gavel

Defense News

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester will chair the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, handing new clout over the defense budget to a state with nuclear weapons interests.


Biden Launches Review of Guantanamo Prison, Aims to Close it Before Leaving Office

Reuters

President Joe Biden’s aides have launched a formal review of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the controversial facility with the aim of doing so before he leaves office, the White House said Feb. 12.


The Air Force Wants Throwable 'Micro-Robots' for Room Reconnaissance

Military.com

U.S. Air Forces Europe is considering adding "throwable robots," which can scour a room or outdoor area and confirm whether there are people around, to its inventory. In a recent solicitation for information posted on the government's acquisition and awards website beta.sam.gov, the service asked defense and technology companies for their ideas on "throwable reconnaissance micro-robots."


Mitchell Institute‘s ‘Aerospace Advantage’ Podcast, Ep. 10—‘Hanging out with Unexploded Ordnance, Saddam’s Palace, and Me: Experiences of a Fighter Pilot’

Mitchell Institute's "Aerospace Advantage" podcast

This episode of the "Aerospace Advantage" podcast takes you to the flight line and beyond, exploring the experience of Air Force Brig. Gen. Craig “Bluto” Baker, currently serving as the vice commander of 12th Air Force. We follow Baker as he helped build the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign and deployed to Iraq, where he executed after-action inspections at his recently targeted sites. Learn how he found himself hanging from the ceiling of one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces next to an unexploded bomb.

 

One More Thing

PODCAST: Air Force Association Celebrates 75 Year Anniversary

Federal News Network’s “Federal Drive with Tom Temin” podcast

The Air Force Association is actually older than the Air Force itself. As it celebrates 75 years in business, AFA deals with an Air Force facing a lot of challenges. With an update, AFA Chairman and 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald Murray joined “Federal Drive with Tom Temin.”