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13 March 2023

Wall Street Journal | Gen. Mark Milley in Syria to support U.S. troops

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a brief stop at a logistics base to talk with troops and commanders as he prepares recommendations for the future of the Pentagon’s operations in Syria.

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Defense News | Big AUKUS news coming, but Hill and allies see tech sharing snags

The U.S., U.K. and Australia are poised for a major announcement next week in landmark plans to help Australia build a fleet of nuclear-powered subs, but U.S. lawmakers are setting their sights on a part of the pact that’s seen as lagging: technology co-operation.

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Associated Press | US defense secretary makes unannounced visit to Baghdad

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit Tuesday to the Iraqi capital where he vowed to continue the fight against the Islamic State group until the extremists are defeated.

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Military Times | Vet agency asks why fix outdated-but-outgoing record system?

Veterans Affairs leaders have called their soon-to-be-replaced electronic health outdated and expensive to maintain. But Republican lawmakers insisted on Tuesday that VA must keep that system running for the foreseeable future, thanks to all the glitches rolling out the new replacement software.

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Stars and Stripes | Injured Marine recalls deadly Kabul suicide blast as House Republicans scrutinize Afghanistan withdrawal

“What happened in Afghanistan was a systemic breakdown of the federal government at every level and a stunning failure of leadership by the Biden administration,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the committee chairman. “I will not rest and this committee will not rest until we determine how this happened and hold those responsible for it accountable.”

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Stars and Stripes | Pentagon can’t pass audits due to ‘error-prone’ systems, lack of guidance, watchdog says

A lack of oversight guidance within the Pentagon is a major reason why it’s still the only large government department that has yet to pass an independent audit, though it spends billions trying to modernize its fiscal systems, a watchdog report said Tuesday.

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CATO Institute | Uncle Sucker: Why U.S. efforts at defense burdensharing fail

In 2022, the United States counted 50 of the world’s 195 countries as formal treaty allies, not including dozens more informal security relationships. U.S. allies do not carry a proportionate share of the burden of their defense; Washington’s allies account for roughly 36 percent of world economic output but only 24 percent of world military spending.

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National Review | The U.S. doesn’t know what it’s doing in Somalia

However the war in Somalia evolves or ends (assuming it does end), one thing is clear: The U.S. remains smack in the middle of it and has deepened its involvement since President Joe Biden redeployed hundreds of U.S. special-operations forces and trainers in the country.

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Defense News | Germany’s military ‘Zeitenwende’ is off to a slow start

Given this history, nobody should be surprised if Scholz’s Zeitenwende proves to be nothing more than a slogan. U.S. policy, as well as Germany’s favorable strategic environment, serves as a great disincentive to the well-stocked and supplied Bundeswehr that Washington and Berlin both claim to want.

The Overwatch | Senate Foreign Relations Committee passes a historic war powers bill. Will the full Senate and house be on board?

Senators voted to pass Sens. Tim Kaine’s and Todd Young’s bill, S. 316 to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force.

WFLA | Volunteers give time and money to veteran trying to feed homeless in Tampa Bay

Cook founded Stone Soup Group about two years ago and since then has served about 5,000 hot meals from his SUV.

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Stars and Stripes | Story of WWII Navy nurse from Pennsylvania gets new attention

The Bronze Star recipient’s story is receiving some national attention thanks to a new profile in Naval History magazine, “The Perseverance of Lieutenant Nash.”

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