The Pentagon on Thursday said preliminary information shows that North Korea’s claims of a hydrogen bomb test are not consistent with evidence the US is collecting, and that the department is still researching the possible test through “a variety of means.” The Air Force reportedly deployed a WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft to collect air samples in the region, and the military is using “as many resources as we can” to confirm what type of test North Korea conducted, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said. The Defense Department would not detail all of the means it is using, nor when any final determination would be made. In addition, DOD is discussing additional ways to work with South Korea in response to the reported test, but that so far does not include approving the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. “No decisions have been made” on deploying THAAD, Cook said, though the move could be a part of “the larger discussion we have with the South Koreans on the capabilities and alliance going forward.” (See also Condemning the North Korean Nuclear Test.)
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…