Air Force Magazine
Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Military Times
“During a time of heightened fear, loneliness and isolation, and stress stemming from the current coronavirus pandemic, mental health across our communities has been greatly impacted,” writes Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher. “As many communities continue to social distance and quarantine, the social isolation and loneliness caused by this unprecedented time has led to negative mental health impacts among adults (Kaiser Health Foundation). Now more than ever, it is important to engage in the challenging conversation around mental health and suicide prevention for all Americans—but especially our veterans who may be nursing invisible wounds of war.”
ABC News
An American citizen who was recently abducted in Niger has been rescued during a high-risk U.S. military raid in neighboring Nigeria, officials told ABC News early on Oct. 31. The operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger, and Nigeria working together to rescue 27-year-old Philip Walton quickly, sources said. The CIA provided intelligence leading to Walton's whereabouts and Marine Special Operations elements in Africa helped locate him, a former U.S. official said.
Nextgov
The health and wellness wearable company plans to use the award to partner with the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to expand testing of its internally developed algorithm.
Aviation Week Network
A picture has surfaced showing a new aircraft generally matching Aviation Week’s understanding of the shape of what is commonly known as the RQ-180 unmanned aircraft system. Aviation Week understands the picture of the UAS was taken two to three weeks ago inside the Military Operating Area around Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
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The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Air Force recently bought dozens of Chinese-made drones to use for testing and training, according to officials and records of the purchase, fueling concerns about continued Defense Department use of technology that lawmakers consider a threat to national security.
The Drive
The small pocket force of still active F-117s that are flying in the aggressor and test and evaluation roles continues to expand its operations beyond the confines of its 'childhood' and 'retirement' home of Tonopah Test Range Airport, located in a remote swathe of Southern Nevada. Now, after deploying briefly to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego last week, a bizarrely high-profile operation for the traditionally extremely shy Nighthawks, the type has returned to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, a place that its operations have been tied directly to, in one way or another, throughout its active service.
Air Force Magazine
Joint all-domain command and control is driving change throughout the Air and Space Forces. Check out our latest on the quest for greater interconnectedness across the battlefield.
SpaceNews
The National Security Space Association, a group that represents U.S. defense and intelligence contractors, says outdated security clearance policies thwart the United States’ ability to outpace adversaries that seek to undermine U.S. space operations. In an Oct. 29 white paper, the NSSA calls for reforms in “space security policy, practices and governance structures.”
Military.com
As America struggles with the uncertainty of mail-in ballots before this year’s presidential election, SNAFUs with absentee voting are nothing new to U.S. military families, many of whom have been forced to vote far from home for years.
Federal News Network’s “Ask the CIO” podcast
Jeff Kleck, the director of the cyber portfolio for the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit, said DIU is testing artificial intelligence to keep up with the velocity, volume, and veracity of cyber threats.
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Stars & Stripes
In a section of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium on Saturday, cutouts of nearly two dozen graduates who have passed away “watched” as the academy’s football team fell to Mountain West conference rival Boise State, 49-30. The fallen grads’ cutouts are part of a program launched in September by the athletic department to raise money to support cadet athletes and ensure that coronavirus restrictions don’t mean the nearly 47,000-capacity stadium is empty for home games.
One More Thing
Task and Purpose
Tom Hardy will embrace his third major military role after “Black Hawk Down” and “Dunkirk” as he leads an ensemble cast in “The Things They Carried,” a new movie based on Pulitzer Prize-finalist Tim O'Brien's short story collection of the same name about his experiences during Vietnam, Deadline reports. Producer David Zander, best known for Spring Breakers, had previously optioned the book from O'Brien, who has been working alongside Zander, Hardy, and the latter's production partner Dean Baker to develop the work for the big screen.
