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Air Force Times

This sailor fought the Japanese at Pearl Harbor—with football pads on
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Air Force Times, National

This sailor fought the Japanese at Pearl Harbor—with football pads on

By Claire Barrett | Air Force Times The sailors of the USS Pennsylvania football team were suited up. Although partially cloudy, the temperatures hovered around a balmy 71 degrees Fahrenheit, promising decent weather for what was dubbed the “Super Bowl” of the Navy. Their opponents from the USS Arizona were donning similar gear and readying for a scrimmage, before the 1:00 p.m. fleet championship, when the first Japanese bomb struck the USS Oklahoma in Battleship Row, Oahu, Hawaii. The date was Dec. 7, 1941, and unbeknownst to the Americans on the ground and at sea, they were at war. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE AIR FORCE TIMES
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As agreement with Russia nears expiration, Air Force says restoring nukes on some B-52s would cost $4.5M
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Air Force Times, National

As agreement with Russia nears expiration, Air Force says restoring nukes on some B-52s would cost $4.5M

By Courtney Albon | Air Force Times The Air Force estimates it would cost about $4.5 million to restore nuclear weapon capabilities on approximately 30 B-52 bombers, a calculation that follows proposals from Congress to assess shoring up the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal in the coming years. The House and Senate armed services committees included the recommendation in their respective defense policy bills for fiscal 2025. The bombers in question had previously been equipped with the ability to carry nuclear weapons but were converted to conventional aircraft about 10 years ago to comply with a key U.S.-Russia arms control treaty known as New START. That agreement, which sets limits on both countries’ nuclear arms capabilities, is set to expire in 2026. Proponents of the recommendat...
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Congressional panel finds America’s chances of fighting a war high, preparedness low
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Air Force Times, National

Congressional panel finds America’s chances of fighting a war high, preparedness low

By Noah Robertson | Air Force Times America’s odds of fighting a major war are the highest in 80 years, and its military isn’t prepared for one. This was the finding of a bipartisan panel tasked by Congress to review U.S. defense strategy. Its nearly 100-page report reveals a crisis of confidence in American national security. The commission chides a Pentagon it considers too plodding, a Congress it considers too partisan and multiple administrations it says have been too complacent to address threats from China, Russia and countries in the Middle East. READ THE FULL STORY AT AIR FORCE TIMES
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Pentagon to review 20 Medals of Honor awarded in Wounded Knee massacre
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Pentagon to review 20 Medals of Honor awarded in Wounded Knee massacre

By Nikki Wentling | Air Force Times Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the Pentagon to review the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. troops for their actions at Wounded Knee in 1890, when soldiers killed and injured between 350 and 375 Lakota men, women and children. Austin ordered the creation of a special panel to determine whether to retain or rescind the medals, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. In a July 19 memorandum ordering the review, Austin said the panel would investigate “each awardee’s individual actions” and also “consider the context of the overall engagement.” “It’s never too late to do what’s right,” an unnamed senior defense official said in a statement Wednesday. “And that’s what is intended by the review that the secretary direc...
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Saying their names: Families of U.S. troops killed in Kabul airport bombing criticize Biden, praise Trump
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Air Force Times, National

Saying their names: Families of U.S. troops killed in Kabul airport bombing criticize Biden, praise Trump

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Farnoush Amiri, Matthew Lee and Steve Peoples | Air Force Times Relatives of some of the 13 American service members killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention Wednesday in an emotional moment that revived one of the low points of President Joe Biden’s presidency. Many of the Gold Star families have criticized Biden for never publicly naming their loved ones. On stage Wednesday, one of the family members named each of the 13 service members, and the crowd echoed back each name as it was read aloud. “Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice,” Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, told the crowd. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew all of t...
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Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets
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Bill would expand military death benefits for families of ROTC cadets

By Jonathan Lehrfeld | Air Force Times Parents of young officers in training and incoming recruits who died in connection with military activities want Congress to approve death benefits that others in the armed forces already receive. “It’s just been an absolute nightmare. There’s no aspect of our lives that are the same,” said Jessica Swan. Swan’s daughter, Mackenzie Wilson, 19, a student at Oregon State University and an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, died in a vehicle accident in June 2022, while at an Air Force base in Idaho for a development program. Family members of active duty troops can collect financial compensation from the military after a service member dies. But Swan received nothing after her child’s death. Loved ones of those in ...
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U.S. to expand control of land sales to foreigners near military sites
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Air Force Times, National

U.S. to expand control of land sales to foreigners near military sites

By Fatima Hussein | The Associated Press (via Air Force Times) The U.S. wants to expand a Treasury committee’s jurisdiction to review land sales near U.S. military sites where foreigners are the buyers. New Treasury rulemaking would expand the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ powers to review land sales near 56 additional military sites, bringing the overall number to 227 military sites. Additional sites include Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in California, Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, and Fort Novosel in Alabama, along with other locations, according to the proposed rule. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE AIR FORCE TIMES
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ESPN draws fire for selecting Prince Harry for Pat Tillman award: ‘There are recipients that are far more fitting’
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Air Force Times, National

ESPN draws fire for selecting Prince Harry for Pat Tillman award: ‘There are recipients that are far more fitting’

By Zamone Perez | Air Force Times ESPN is drawing criticism for selecting Prince Harry as the Pat Tillman Service Award recipient at this year’s ESPYs, including from the fallen soldier’s mother and a host of one of the sports network’s more popular shows. Every year the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards show, or ESPYs, honors one individual with an award in memory of Pat Tillman, a former NFL safety who enlisted in the Army following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tillman was killed on April 22, 2004, in a friendly fire incident while deployed to Afghanistan. He was 27 years old. The late soldier’s mother, Mary Tillman, told the Daily Mail she was not consulted by ESPN on the award decision. Tillman called ESPN’s selection of Prince Harry, who left r...
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Troops may face inflated drug costs under Tricare, lawmakers say
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Air Force Times, National

Troops may face inflated drug costs under Tricare, lawmakers say

By Karen Jowers | Air Force Times A bipartisan group of 24 congressional lawmakers is questioning whether the Pentagon’s pharmacy contract may be driving up drug costs and limiting access to medication for Tricare beneficiaries, while overcharging independent pharmacies and taxpayers. The lawmakers are concerned that the Defense Health Agency has decided to retain Express Scripts as the sole pharmacy benefit manager for Tricare, the military insurance system serving 9.6 million troops, retirees and their families. In a letter sent Wednesday to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Lester Martinez-Lopez and DHA director Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, the lawmakers questioned whether Express Scripts may be using anticompetitive tactics to overcharge Tricare. Express S...
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VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post after 8 months on the job
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Air Force Times, National

VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post after 8 months on the job

By Leo Shane III | Air Force Times Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Kimberly Jackson on Friday announced she will step down from the leadership role next month, creating another vacancy at the top of the department. Jackson has served in the role for only eight months, but had previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for force readiness at the Pentagon since the start of President Joe Biden’s presidency. The chief of staff role at VA serves as the top advisor to the secretary and deputy secretary. In a statement, Jackson said she is stepping down to spend more time with her family. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside the dedicated women and men in the Department of Veterans Affairs in our mission of ensuring veterans and their families...
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