The House and Senate passed a $2.1 billion emergency security supplemental bill July 29 that fully reimburses the National Guard for its role in protecting the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 insurrection. It also provides relief for Afghan interpreters who helped the U.S. during the war and significantly increases the number of authorized Special Immigrant Visas. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature with just two days left before the Guard's funding runs out.

The Defense Department’s new guidance mandating the return of masks in certain localities for all personnel, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, will affect the vast majority of Air Force and Space Force installations in the United States, an Air Force Magazine analysis shows.

The effectiveness of the Afghan Air Force is already dropping even before U.S. and coalition forces complete their withdrawal from the country, with the majority of its airframes losing readiness last month. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction on July 28 released its latest quarterly report to Congress, detailing several issues facing the health and effectiveness of Afghan forces. The AAF, long touted as one of the few success stories in the U.S.-led training mission, has been key to Afghan military capabilities. But that is waning as U.S. contractors leave and advisers are already gone from the country.

Strong performance in space systems helped Northrop Grumman achieve sales three percent higher than a year ago, company officers reported in a July 29 second-quarter earnings call with reporters. CEO Kathy Warden said the company’s prospects are rosy given strong support in Congress for not only a higher defense spending plan than the one requested, but also for Northrop Grumman’s programs, specifically. Warden said Congress has endorsed the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile system, the B-21 bomber, the F-35 fighter, and the Navy’s Triton unmanned reconnaissance aircraft based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. She expects an “integrated” new National Defense Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review “in the next six months or so” and is “pleased” that the Biden administration is reviewing both documents in tandem.