The US military spent $18.6 billion on its unclassified and classified intelligence activities in Fiscal 2013, announced the Defense Department on Thursday. Congress originally appropriated $19.2 billion for these activities, known collectively as the Military Intelligence Program, but that amount shrank to $18.6 billion after the budget sequester took effect in March, according to the Oct. 31 release. Releasing this topline figure does not jeopardize any classified intelligence activities, states the release. However, DOD said it would not release any additional MIP budget figures or program details since they remain classified for national security reasons. The Pentagon has also requested $18.6 billion to fund its intelligence activities in Fiscal 2014. In Fiscal 2012, DOD spent $21.5 billion on the MIP.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…