The coalition Provisional Reconstruction Team working out of Bagram AB, Afghanistan, not only oversaw reconstruction of a local school, it also helped find the funding to get the job done. Air Force journalist MSgt. Orville Desjarlais Jr. reports that the mission of the Bagram PRT, a mix of US Air Force, US Army, and South Korean military members, is to work with the Afghan government to build schools, roads, and bridges—essentially aiding the influence of the Afghan central government and enhancing security. Read more here.
House and Senate lawmakers say they’re hopeful Congress will pass a defense appropriations bill in the coming weeks to avoid a repeat of last fall’s government shutdown, with only having a handful of working days remaining before the Jan. 30 deadline. Yet legislations still have to release a compromise version of defense spending legislation, which will have to…

