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The Washington Post
A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior US officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable. The documents were generated by a federal project examining the root failures of the longest armed conflict in US history. They include more than 2,000 pages of previously unpublished notes of interviews with people who played a direct role in the war, from generals and diplomats to aid workers and Afghan officials.
Military.com
The B-1B Lancer bomber, a plane designed with the ability to fly fast and low to the Earth in order to avoid enemy radars, might find itself operating at higher altitudes for the rest of its days in service, as officials weigh options to extend its lifespan. The move is one of several being considered to keep the aircraft flying for years to come because low-altitude missions increase the wear and tear on the aircraft's structure, Military.com has learned.
Las Cruces Sun News
The US Air Force is seeking more airspace for training F-16 fighter pilots at Holloman AFB, N.M. The Air Force is proposing three options for expanding its existing military operations area over Eddy, Otero, and Chaves counties to increase space for training pilots at required altitudes within 120 nautical miles of Holloman.
Space News
The Air Force will soon release a revised request for proposals for the procurement of national security launch services in response to concerns raised by the Government Accountability Office in a Nov. 18 ruling. “We are going to take corrective action,” Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s launch enterprise, told Space News Dec. 5.
Associated Press via ABC News
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he still plans to shift the American military’s focus to competing with China and Russia, even as security threats pile up in the Middle East.
BBC News
North Korea says it has carried out a "very important test" at a satellite-launching site. Analysts believe it could be a ground-based test of an engine to power a satellite launcher or an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Navy Times
The Federal Bureau of Investigation official leading the probe into the mass shooting at NAS Pensacola, Fla., refused at a Dec. 8 press conference to confirm rumors and reporting swirling around the slain Saudi gunman’s motives. Addressing reporters inside the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center in Pensacola, Fla., Rachel Rojas, the special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Field Office, said 80 FBI agents and task force officers are being assisted by 100 other staffers nationwide to figure out why Mohammed Alshamrani killed three sailors and wounded eight others at the Navy base.
One More Thing
CBS Baltimore
Retired Army Air Force Col. Charles McGee flew a private jet Friday between Frederick, Md., and Dover AFB, Del. “I can’t think of a better present for this 100th birthday than to be able to share in the air again,” McGee said. “It’s been a marvelous unforgettable experience.” McGee is one of the Air Force’s most celebrated pilots. He flew more than 6,000 flights but has still mastered the art of humility.
