The Round Table at Seoul: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, after his brief China foray, descended upon South Korea to hold talks on the “strong, but evolving” alliance between the US and South Korea. South Korean defense officials have been making overtures to the US that they want to take have more leadership responsibility in defending their country. Should there be a war, Seoul would like to have operational control of its own forces rather than leaving it with the American-led Combined Forces Command. Rumsfeld told reporters on his way to China that it was time for South Korea to “assume a larger role and responsibility.” Here is the joint communiqué issued after the defense meeting.
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,…