Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday announced nine new members of its main outreach board to the technology community, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Defense Innovation Advisory Board was established in March to push to make the Pentagon more tech friendly. The board, chaired by Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, also includes names such as former Special Operations Command chief retired Navy Adm. William McRaven and Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka, among others. (Full list of board members.) (See also: The Pentagon’s New Hires for Innovation.)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
