President Bush on Jan. 4 took advantage of the congressional recess to officially appoint Gordon England to be the Deputy Secretary of Defense. England’s nomination has been stalled in the Senate since March. The recess appointment lasts until January 2007. Now, at least, we feel somewhat better about England’s right to succeed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. (Although it is still strange that the line now runs to the Intel guy and pals, instead of to the service secretaries. Hmmmm.)
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.