A slimmed-down version of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill recently introduced by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), while lacking major parts of the original legislation, would allow the Pentagon to keep F-35 purchases on track and also allow certain Air Force construction projects to proceed. The bill does not mention a Space Force, nuclear modernization, the F-15EX, or many other Air Force priorities in the current fiscal year. But lawmakers say they are still working to reach a compromise on the full 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, and it’s unclear whether the “skinny” NDAA draft has a path forward. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

Airmen who have served for 12 years or more no longer have to re-enlist under a change made official Oct. 30. Previously, senior enlisted airmen were required to re-enlist every four years, a process described as lengthy and full of cumbersome paperwork that culminated in raising their right hand at a swearing-in ceremony. Now, under a new Noncommissioned Officer Career Status Program, that requirement is gone. Instead, an Oct. 30 Air Force release said, their separation dates will align with their high year of tenure date—when they must separate or retire. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.

The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is reaching out to industry to answer some of the biggest questions of the new military space era for its study on how the service buys its space launch assets and puts systems on orbit. “Where do you see future space revenue markets?” the Air Force asked in an Oct. 25 request for information. “Since space has been added as an operational warfighting domain, does assured access to space need to be re-evaluated from a national security standpoint?” The answers will inform how the Air Force approaches the third phase of its National Security Space Launch program to launch small, medium, intermediate, and heavy payloads. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., and Hill AFB, Utah, were selected as two of four installations that will test and experiment with 5G wireless network technology as part of a recently announced Defense Department initiative. DOD also chose Naval Base San Diego, Calif., and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga. “The bases were selected for their ability to provide streamlined access to site spectrum bands, mature fiber and wireless infrastructure, access to key facilities, support for new or improved infrastructure requirements, and the ability to conduct controlled experimentation with dynamic spectrum sharing,” the Pentagon said in an Oct. 31 release. The Pentagon aims to learn how it could provide augmented and virtual reality tools for mission planning and training, and manage warehouses and military logistics, via 5G. It also wants to learn more about sharing parts of the wireless spectrum with other users. A draft request for proposals is expected in November. —Rachel S. Cohen