The boss of US Strategic Command, Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright acknowledges that the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has one major drawback: its pilot. The pilot “limits the duration on station.” Having said that, Cartwright told lawmakers that its obvious replacement—the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle—has “to demonstrate its capability, both in the upgrades and the numbers, before we want to let go of the U-2.” Congress last year prevented the Air Force from accelerating U-2 retirement because it perceived an intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance gap. Cartwright admitted that USAF has to perform “a balancing act,” however he maintained, “I cannot afford a gap in capability.”
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
