Radar Sweep
Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19
Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
17 Sailors, Four Others Injured in Three-Alarm Fire Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego
A three-alarm fire onboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard injured 17 sailors and four civilians the morning of July 12 while multiple agencies battled the blaze throughout the day. The cause and location of the blaze and the extent of damage were not known as of the afternoon of July 12. The Navy declined to discuss the fire’s origin pending an investigation.
Walter Reed Scientists Use Artificial Intelligence to Screen Drugs to Potentially Treat COVID-19
The Experimental Therapeutics Branch accelerated its research by turning to machine learning, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing.
Fewer Pilots Took Aviator Bonuses in 2019
According to statistics released by the Air Force Friday, 285 manned pilots last year accepted aviation bonuses worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, in exchange for service commitments of up to 12 years under the Aviation Bonus Program. That is down from the 330 pilots of manned aircraft who accepted the bonuses in fiscal 2018.
After 110 Years of Aviation, Navy Get Its First Black Female Fighter Pilot
The milestone makes Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, the first known Black woman who has been certified for the TACAIR mission, and she could go on to fly fighters such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler or F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.
Maj. Gen. Reed Assumes Command of Third Air Force
Maj. Gen. Randall Reed assumed command of 3rd Air Force in a June 24 ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The Defense Bill Could Rewrite How the US Does Cyber Defense
A proposed new office would help private entities and the government respond together to major hacks.
American Surveillance Aircraft Have Been Flooding into the Airspace South of Taiwan
For the past three weeks, there has been a big increase in U.S. military air activity in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.
93rd Air Refueling Squadron Returns Home after 7-Month Deployment
Team Fairchild welcomed over 76 Airmen from the 92nd Maintenance Group and 92nd Operations Group after returning from a seven-month deployment July 1, making it one of the longest deployments the KC-135 Stratotanker has ever seen.
US Air Force Considers Adopting the Army’s Future Vertical Lift Program
The U.S. Air Force is keeping an eye on the Army’s next-generation rotorcraft program, which could fill a gap for agile airlift that might be needed in a fight against Russia and China, an Air Force general said July 9.
Long-Range All-Domain Prompts Roles & Missions Debate
"It's ridiculous, to be quite candid. It is encroachment on roles and missions," says retired USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, about Army plans for super long-range weapons that rival the capabilities of Air Force combat aircraft.
DOD Knew K2 Troops Were Exposed to Cancer-Causing Toxins; VA Continues to Deny Care
Recently declassified Defense Department documents show the Pentagon knew troops were exposed to multiple toxins and hazards that have led to hundreds of cancer cases and dozens of dead veterans after deploying to Uzbekistan in the early days of the War on Terror. The Veterans Affairs Department is denying most of them care and disability.
721 AMXS, 305 MXS Restore C-17 after Lightning Strike
The 721st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron facilitated a maintenance recovery team from the 305th Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., to remove and replace components of a C-17 Globemaster III that calls Joint Base Charleston, S.C., home on July 7.