The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act changed the review process for awarding the nation’s highest military honor for valor in combat. Specifically, the bill lifted a long-standing restriction that prevented a service member from earning multiple Medals of Honor, even if the award was deserved more than once. All military services also now have three years from the combat action to recommend an individual for the MOH, and five years from the date of the action to present the honor, according to the NDAA. Previously, time limits varied among the services, evoking criticism by some members of Congress who questioned the MOH review process for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the bill also approved a waiver to this rule, authorizing the MOH to be awarded to 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, who as commander of Battery A, 4th United States Artillery, gallantly fought to his death on Gettysburg’s Cemetery Ridge on on July 3, 1863—the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
