The Pentagon will increase its contribution to global UN peacekeeping efforts by upping its training role and providing more specialized expertise to areas in need of growth, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sept. 8. The Defense Department will help train future leaders by reinforcing its role in the UN”s Enhanced Leader Development Program; help the UN’s National Investigative Officers improve training to prevent sexual exploitation; synchronize capability-development efforts in areas such as medical evacuation and counter improvised explosive devices; help peacekeepers get on the ground sooner in crisis zones; and partner with the UN to improve energy, water, and waste management efficiency for UN camps, according to a Pentagon news release. Carter called on the UN to improve its standards for peacekeepers and to improve their performance in both the field and at UN headquarters in New York. “The stakes are too high for those we seek to protect, for our peacekeepers and for our shared interests to miss this opportunity for reform,” Carter said during a speech in London.
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.