At last report, the search for Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger, who disappeared Sept. 5 during a trip to a store in downtown Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is still in place. More details are slowly emerging as a joint US-Kyrgyz investigation is underway for the major who was nearing the end of her deployment as a personnel officer at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan. The New York Times reports that there have been no claims of abduction or signs of foul play.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.