France, Germany, and Spain rejected the argument by US and British defense chiefs that it is time for NATO to step in and relieve US forces of some counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. (DR, 9/15/05) At a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Rumsfeld expressed the belief that NATO, at some point, could take over fighting insurgents in Afghanistan. The allies do plan to extend their peacekeeping role, but plans to merge command of the NATO mission and the US/coalition mission may be up a creek, as well.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…