Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the military awards and decoration process, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said. “Now that we’re getting towards the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan, [Hagel] wants to take a more holistic view of the awards process and the decoration process,” Kirby said. The review is slated for completion by “the end of the year or early 2015,” said Kirby. While all services are expected to participate, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will lead the effort, according to a Jan. 29 release.
The Air Force is planning to invest nearly $1.7 billion to continue modernizing the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers over the next five years, revising earlier plans to retire those aircraft before the B-21 Raider is fielded in bulk.