Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright will meet virtually with Airmen for two hours June 3 to discuss how the service will move forward to address racial inequality, as civil unrest continues to spread across the country. Goldfein, in a June 2 letter to wing commanders, wrote that the Memorial Day death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police “is a national tragedy.” He added, “Every American should be outraged that the conduct exhibited by police in Minneapolis can still happen in 2020. We all wish it were not possible for racism to occur in America.”

Military troops on June 2 continued to respond to nationwide protests over George Floyd’s death, as some lawmakers raised concerns about the prospect of sending in Active-duty service members. The death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody May 25 after asphyxiation by a white officer, has sparked widespread protests over police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. President Donald Trump on June 1 indicated he could direct Active-duty troops to cities roiled by the protests if states don’t fully deploy their National Guard units to quell civil unrest. Some lawmakers appear split over how to respond to the possibility of calling in Active-duty troops under the 1807 Insurrection Act. That federal law allows the Commander in Chief to deploy military troops within the U.S. in certain circumstances, like uprisings.

The United States’ reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic is feeding partners’ and allies’ fears that the U.S. “is no longer willing to play a leadership role” amid international crises and opening the door for enemies and competitors, alike, to challenge its dedication, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy said during the opening session of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ third-annual Future Strategy Forum on June 2. Flournoy said the nation’s hesitance to “step up and step in to orchestrate an international, collaborative response that included everyone”—as it did during the Ebola crisis—has egged on these concerns. "It sort of invites adversaries or competitors to test the limits of U.S. resolve and commitment as we've seen Russia do repeatedly in the Middle East, for example, or ... China in the South China Sea," she said. "So it's a really dangerous situation where we've created a vacuum that is sort of strengthening others with interests antithetical to our own."

The Navy on June 1 awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to upgrade the F-35's Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD) capabilities. The contract provides $26.7 million to engineer changes to the F-35 for the "full up" mission, presumably to add weapons and/or new sensors to the jet.

A-10s and about 400 Airmen with the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing recently deployed to the Middle East for ongoing operations there, and to serve as a quick reaction force if needed in Africa. The deployment is the wing’s second-largest movement ever, including pilots, security forces, maintainers, medical personnel, special warfare tactical air control party, and other support staff deployed to an undisclosed location for Operations Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, and New Normal—a U.S. Africa Command mission created after the 2012 attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to a June 1 wing release.

On March 23, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual Nuclear Deterrence Series event featuring Scowcroft Group Principal Frank Miller. At a time when nuclear modernization programs are accelerating around the world, proposals to recapitalize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are at the forefront of debates over defense spending. Miller will share his insights into the prospects for U.S. nuclear modernization programs and the value of nuclear deterrence in today's competitive security environment. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.